The Saudi agricultural sector relies on diesel for irrigation, which is provided to farmers at a much lower price than the average global price, implying significant opportunity costs. With the aid of soft-coupled power and macro-econometric models, we assess the cost and macroeconomic implications of electrifying irrigation activities in the Saudi agricultural sector. Three electrification scenarios are considered: electrifying each individual farm with a dedicated hybrid renewable micro-grid, electrifying the entire farm cluster with central generation and connecting the entire cluster via transmission to the national grid. Compared with the base-case, connecting the farm cluster to the national grid is found to be the most economical but the least environmentally friendly. The renewable and central generation scenarios are costlier (compared with the transmission scenario) due, respectively, to the high battery costs and gas infrastructure needed.

Fellow Amro is an expert with over 20 years of experience in energy and technology garnered on three continents. His research… Amro is an expert with over 20 years of experience in energy and technology garnered on three continents. His research interests lie in renewable energy policy, power systems modeling, net-zero power, and hybrid microgrid design and optimization. He has led and executed several national modeling initiatives both at the distributed and utility scales. Some aspects of his research have been adopted by BP in creating their seminal annual statistical review. Amro is the author of 50+ papers and the inventor of several patents. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance.
Expertise
- Renewable Energy Policy
- Power Modeling
- Net-Zero Power Sector
- Hybrid Microgrid Design and Optimization
Publications See all Amro Elshurafa’s publications

Cost, Footprint, and Reliability Implications of Deploying Hydrogen in Off-grid Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: A GIS-assisted Study for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Saudi agricultural sector relies on diesel for irrigation, which is provided to farmers at…
29th January 2023Trends in Global Solar PV Installation in 2021
The Saudi agricultural sector relies on diesel for irrigation, which is provided to farmers at…
10th October 2022