Neom, a USD 500-billion megalopolis in Saudi Arabia, has partially started functioning on renewable energy and will entirely function on it soon. Neom, which is approximately 33 times the size of New York City, is expected to have a population of nine million by 2045, as per reports.
Saudi Arabia’s Neom intends to begin operations with 50 percent renewable energy before converting it to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, shared Thorsten Schwarz, Grid Technology and Projects Executive Director, Neom, at a panel last year, according to CNBC.
More about Neom and its infrastructure
Amenities to be provided by Neom
Shopping centres, housing complexes, public parks, pedestrian areas, playgrounds, schools and workplaces will be located inside this massive megacity, surrounded on both sides by tall mirror walls.
The futuristic city will have flying cabs instead of motorcycles or cars to avoid carbon emissions. However, doorstep pickup and delivery will be available.
According to project architects, The Line, a 200-metre-wide, 170-kilometre-long and 500-metre-high urban horizontal skyscraper, will have a distinctive personality owing to its external mirror facade. In addition to this, a high-speed train with a 20-minute end-to-end transit time will be accessible within a five-minute walk.
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How will Neom achieve this milestone?
Neom has a sister concern called ENOWA, which will offer clean drinking water and sustainable energy to the desert metropolis. The area aims to generate 40GW of green energy from solar and wind sources. In order to address additional needs, Neom will also utilise hydrogen-based power generation.
The planned desalination plant, which will be used to supply the city with fresh water, will be one of the larger energy consumers in the city. The desalination plant and hydrogen plant will be housed in Neom’s Oxagon, a floating industrial complex spanning 7 kilometres that will also house the 170-kilometre linear city, The Line.
Jens Madrien, CEO of ENOWA, told Korea Times in an interview, “Neom will be the world’s first large-scale renewable energy system and climate-positive society. It will be a global hub for clean energy generation, manufacturing, technology, research, and innovation. Once operational, Neom will be powered by 100 percent renewable, clean energy, including solar, wind, hydrogen, and green hydrogen-based energy.”
(Main and featured image credit: NEOM.com)
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Priyanshi Agrawal
Travel, lifestyle, wellness, and finance writer, Priyanshi is somebody who gorges on self-help and mythology reads, follows fitness trends, and stalks some famous travellers. She has two years of experience working with travel, hospitality, and tech companies. Travelling acts as a spark in her relationship with writing.
