It’s official: BYD to supply 12.5 GWh of battery storage in Saudi Arabia

BYD Energy Storage has officially signed contracts with Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to deliver 12.5 GWh in five BESS projects, marking the world’s largest grid-scale storage deployment to date.

In early January, media reports in China said that BYD had been awarded the series of contracts that make up the enormous headline figure of 12.5 GWh, but the official confirmation and announcement was waiting some final negotiation.

With this announcement, BYD systems will be installed across five sites in Saudi Arabia, utilizing BYD’s MC Cube-T energy storage system with Cell-to-System (CTS) technology, which achieves a volume ratio exceeding 33%, said BYD.

The project supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which targets 50% renewable energy in the national power mix by 2030. The storage systems will integrate with the country’s transmission network to manage renewable energy integration and peak demand. This latest contract represents the third phase of SEC’s ongoing energy storage procurement. 

BYD’s involvement in grid storage spans 17 years, starting with its first pilot lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system. The company reports it has delivered 75 GWh of BESS equipment across 350 projects in more than 110 countries.

The installations will provide grid services including renewable energy integration, power supply stability, and peak shaving.

BYD said the new agreement builds on a previous 2.6 GWh project, bringing the total capacity to 15.1 GWh.

China’s Sungrow won a 7.8 GWh contract in the second phase in July 2024. With this latest award, BYD reclaims its position as the leading energy storage supplier in the Middle East, surpassing Sungrow.

Note: pv magazine’s SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference is happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this week, on February 19, and includes a session on BESS.