ACWA Power, a Saudi Arabian developer of power and water desalination plants, has launched its first overseas innovation centre in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.
The new $2.8m facility includes a research and development (R&D) centre and a green energy laboratory. It will focus on developing and deploying solutions in five key areas: photovoltaics, wind, energy storage, green hydrogen, and seawater desalination.
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ACWA Power has also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Gulf Renewables Laboratory and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Additionally, it will cultivate a collaborative network of government, industry, and academic partners to drive innovation across all stages of project development.
Saleh Khabti, president of China, ACWA Power, said, “Through partnerships with leading organisations, we aim to accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable energy and water solutions, not just in China, but across our global network.”
Bart Boesmans, chief technology officer of ACWA Power, cited ‘innovation’ as the driving force behind the organisation’s success.
“The facility will be a catalyst for innovation across our entire value chain,” he added.
With this new announcement, the company has added to its investments in China. Earlier this year, in January 2025, it announced investment agreements for over 1GW of projects across multiple provinces.
Headquartered in Riyadh, ACWA Power employs over 4,000 people globally. In the past year, it has announced new projects in Indonesia, Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Tunisia.
