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China-based energy storage solutions company HiTHIUM announced on Wednesday that it has been awarded a major contract by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to deploy two battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a combined capacity of 4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the Tabuk and Hail provinces of Saudi Arabia.
The project, being developed in collaboration with local firm Alfanar Projects, is scheduled for completion in 2026, the company said in a press statement.
HiTHIUM will oversee system design, supply, installation supervision, and long-term maintenance, while Alfanar Projects will lead the construction, the statement said.
It said the BESS will provide critical grid services, including load shifting, black-start capabilities, frequency regulation, and voltage support, enabling greater integration of renewable energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
HiTHIUM’s MEA President Keramat Fakhari said the project will utilise the company’s long-duration energy storage battery cells in containerised systems specifically engineered for Saudi Arabia's harsh climate, setting a new benchmark for gigawatt-scale storage globally.
In mid-August 2025, project news website Saudi Gulf Projects reported that SEC had awarded contracts for the installation and maintenance of BESS with a combined capacity of 1000 megawatts (MW). The report valued HiTHIUM’s two BESS supply contracts at 686,350,000 Saudi riyals ($183 million), while Alfanar’s two construction contracts were valued at SAR 877,477,000 ($234 million). The maintenance contract awarded to HiTHIUM was valued at SAR 6,100,000 ($1.6 million).
(Writing by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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