President Emmanuel Macron insisted on Tuesday, December 3, that France was a “reliable partner” to support the economic diversification of Saudi Arabia, largely dependent on oil, during a state visit to Riyadh. Several contracts and agreements were announced on this occasion, which give pride of place to renewable energies. Back to the main announcements.
Ecological transition
Contracts for three solar power plants, for a total power of 1,700 megawatts, were signed on Tuesday, according to a summary sent by the Elysée. EDF Renewables won two for the construction of 1,000 and 400 megawatt power plants, in consortium with a Chinese company. At the same time, TotalEnergies will build and operate a 300 megawatt power plant, in consortium with a Saudi company. Its connection to the network is planned for 2026, TotalEnergies indicated.
These constructions of solar power plants are part of the Saudi national program for renewable energies, specifies the Elysée: an economic diversification program for Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading exporter of crude oil.
TotalEnergies has also signed an agreement, announced Tuesday, with the Saudi oil giant Aramco to assess the feasibility of building a sustainable aviation fuel production plant in Saudi Arabia. These fuels, of non-fossil origin, could ultimately represent an alternative to aircraft kerosene, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Waste treatment
Several agreements were also announced on Tuesday in the waste treatment sector. Veolia will partner with Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), a company owned by the Saudi Arabian public investment fund, for the management of household, industrial and hazardous waste in Saudi Arabia, the French group announced on Tuesday.
Also in partnership with SIRC, the French multinational Suez plans to develop a “strategic partnership” around waste treatment, with projects “totaling one billion euros over 25 years”, indicated the Elysée. The two companies will notably create a joint company for the treatment of medical waste and develop an incinerator which will treat a third of Riyadh’s municipal waste, representing a business volume for Suez of “750 million euros over the next 25 years”. .
“Progress” on the Rafale
Emmanuel Macron also declared on Tuesday that France and Saudi Arabia had the “will to move forward” towards the conclusion of a contract for the sale of Rafale fighter planes to the powerful Gulf monarchy. “In terms of security and defense, we have very clearly improved things […] with the desire to move forward on the Rafale, which is a major change in the bilateral relationship and which for us also consolidates the development of this club”, he told French journalists in Riyadh. An announcement n was not expected during the president’s visit to Saudi, but at least a desire to “make a decision” in this direction, indicated a source close to the matter.
Port sector and artificial intelligence
The French container ship owner CMA CGM has concluded an agreement with the Saudi Ministry of Investment for the development of port terminals and logistics platforms, for an undisclosed amount, the Elysée announced.
Saudi oil giant Aramco has also signed memorandums of understanding with French start-ups Pasqal on quantum research and Mistral AI in artificial intelligence.
GL Events, a major player in events, which was notably a major service provider for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, will take a majority stake in Add Enterprise, a Saudi specialist in events which has the ambition to develop in the country “a global events industry”, also indicated the Elysée.
Saudi Arabia has also committed to contributing 50 million euros to the renovation of the Center Pompidou in Paris, in exchange for cultural cooperation agreements, an AFP journalist learned from the French ministry. of Culture.