RIYADH: Saudi oil giant Aramco has begun operating the largest fully manufactured electric induction motor in Saudi Arabia, as it aims to localize the industry.
The 10,000-horsepower engine will power the compressor at the onshore gas plant, which is responsible for feeding the Kingdom’s main gas network, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Saudi-made motor was fully manufactured by TECO Middle East Electricity and Equipment, located in Dammam 2nd Industrial City.
Aramco Chief Engineer Khalid Al-Qahtani described it as a turning point in the march of the electric motors manufacturing sector in the Kingdom,
As well as the new electric induction motor, it has also been announced that Aramco will partner with NEOM’s ENOWA Energy, Water and Hydrogen Co. in its first Hydrogen Innovation and Development Center, or HIDC in the region, in cooperation with research institutions, to produce and adopt clean and carbon-free synthetic fuels.
Located in the Research and Innovation District in OXAGON — the advanced and innovative manufacturing city in NEOM — the HIDC is to launch in 2023.
The center is set to accelerate the transfer of new technologies from laboratories and their use in the market, and the development of businesses related to hydrogen, production, and the use and transportation of green fuels, SPA said.
The center will also work on developing ENOWA plans with Air Products Co. Qudra, which specializes in transporting hydrogen molecules, to test advanced mobility solutions based on both hydrogen fuel cells and logistics solutions in NEOM .
The HIDC will attract talents from all over the world to live, work and innovate in a dynamic and modern ecosystem, according to Peter Terium, ENOWA CEO.
Projects to be carried out in the center include the establishment of a filling station and a center for distributing clean fuels to cars, buses and trucks that are free of emissions, as well as clean energy applications, taking advantage of the rapid commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell technology, OXAGON CEO, Vishal Wanchoo said.
Through cooperation with Aramco and Air Products and ACWA Power, the HIDC will be a reference for certifying hydrogen innovations, demonstrating the applicability of this technology throughout the Kingdom, and the world as a whole, he said.
The center will work on developing synthetic fuels through closer cooperation with Aramco, he added.