ACWA Power Signs Key Deals at ID25 for Renewables and Green Hydrogen

Saudi Arabia-based renewable energy firm ACWA Power has announced the signing of seven strategic agreements during its recent flagship Innovation Days 2025 (ID25) event in Riyadh.

According to the company's statement, this marks the highest number of partnerships in the history of the annual event. These agreements reinforce ACWA Power’s commitment to pioneering sustainable solutions in renewable energy, water desalination, and green hydrogen production. The collaborations were formalised with both local and international entities, including Saudi Aramco, UK-based Bluewater Bio, global chemicals producer Dow, Hysata (a leading manufacturer of green hydrogen electrolysers), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Fraunhofer Institutes from Germany. These partnerships align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, fostering technological innovation to establish the Kingdom as a global leader in the clean energy sector.

As part of the agreements, ACWA Power and Saudi Aramco have initiated two major projects aimed at accelerating renewable energy deployment in the Kingdom. The first project involves the development of an Advanced Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Forecasting system that will leverage big data analytics and machine learning to improve solar energy generation predictions. By enhancing the accuracy of solar forecasts, this initiative is expected to optimise grid stability, energy dispatch, and microgrid energy management, ultimately strengthening Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy infrastructure. The second agreement focuses on the systematic assessment and reliability testing of utility-scale vanadium flow battery (VFB) technology under local climate conditions. Given the critical challenge of long-duration energy storage, this project aims to validate VFB technology’s efficiency in supporting renewable energy integration, particularly for energy-intensive applications such as water desalination.

In the water desalination sector, ACWA Power has established multiple partnerships to improve efficiency and sustainability. The agreement with Bluewater Bio, a UK-based water treatment solutions provider, will explore advanced filtration technology for ACWA Power’s desalination projects. This collaboration aims to enhance filtration performance and reduce the environmental impact of desalination processes.

Another key agreement was signed with Dow, one of the world’s leading chemical producers, to test its anti-scaling chemicals at ACWA Power’s pilot facility. Scaling is a significant challenge in desalination plants, as it reduces efficiency and increases maintenance costs. By evaluating Dow’s advanced chemical solutions, the partnership will generate valuable data to develop more sustainable and cost-effective desalination technologies.

A significant milestone in ACWA Power’s innovation strategy is its agreement with Hysata, an Australian manufacturer of high-efficiency electrolysers. This collaboration will involve a pilot demonstration of Hysata’s green hydrogen technology in Saudi Arabia, marking an important step towards scaling up cost-effective hydrogen production. Given the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a global hub for green hydrogen, this initiative aligns with national objectives to reduce carbon emissions and support clean energy diversification. By combining ACWA Power’s expertise in renewable energy with Hysata’s breakthrough electrolyser technology, the partnership is expected to contribute to the advancement of low-cost green hydrogen production.

Further strengthening its research and development efforts, ACWA Power has extended its Master Research Agreement (MRA) with KAUST. Since 2019, ACWA Power and KAUST have co-managed the Centre of Excellence for Desalination and Solar Power, focusing on developing innovative and cost-effective solutions for solar energy and water desalination. By continuing this collaboration, both entities aim to accelerate research that will drive sustainability and efficiency in the energy and water sectors.

Additionally, ACWA Power has signed a Framework Agreement with Fraunhofer IMWS, Fraunhofer ISC, and Fraunhofer IWES, marking the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership in renewable energy and green hydrogen research. Leveraging Fraunhofer’s leading expertise in materials science, energy systems, and hydrogen technologies, this collaboration will focus on advancing cutting-edge clean energy solutions that will support the global energy transition.

The event under the theme 'Innovate for Impact', welcomed over 1,000 delegates from around the world. TIt erved as a platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers to explore how open innovation can drive tangible value creation and accelerate the development of sustainable energy ecosystems. Through these seven landmark agreements, ACWA Power continues to reinforce its position as a pioneer in renewable energy, water desalination, and green hydrogen development, contributing to Saudi Arabia’s vision of a cleaner and more sustainable future.