The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer of the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism project, has awarded its highest-value contract to date to a consortium led by ACWA Power to design, build, operate and transfer The Red Sea Project’s utilities infrastructure.

All of the utilities will be delivered under a single agreement, unique for a contract of this kind, which includes the provision of renewable power, potable water, wastewater treatment, solid waste management and district cooling for the 16 hotels, international airport and infrastructure that make up phase one of The Red Sea Project.

Energy will be generated via solar panels and wind turbines to meet an initial demand of 210MW with the ability to expand in line with the development. Included in the package is the world’s largest battery storage facility of 1GWh, which is expected to allow the destination to remain completely off-grid and powered by renewables day and night.

The agreement also covers the construction of three seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants, designed to provide clean drinking water, a waste management center and an innovative sewage treatment plant (STP) that is expected to allow waste to be managed in a way that enhances the environment, by creating new wetland habitats and supplementing irrigation water for the TRSDC landscape nursery.

The ACWA Power consortium is financed by Saudi and international banks, including the UK’s Standard Chartered Bank, and marks a new stage for the development, in terms of securing external investment.

The contract marks a significant step forward for The Red Sea Project, establishing it as the region’s first tourism destination powered solely by renewable energy. A project of this size has never been achieved on this scale anywhere in the world.