Energetics Develops Land Vehicle Mobility Approach for The Red Sea Project
Energetics recently supported The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) with developing its sustainable fleet transportation plan for The Red Sea, a large-scale (10,800-square-mile) development project. Energetics’ sustainable transportation technology, analysis, planning, and implementation expertise complemented and supported the project lead, global engineering and management firm Mott MacDonald. BMT’s marine vessel and powertrain design expertise completed the team.
TRSDC is developing a section of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA’s) coast and interior land on the Red Sea, converting an area of mostly desert into a luxury resort destination. Over 20 islands will be populated with premium, luxury, and hyper-luxury hotels. The first guests are expected in 2022, and based on the current timeline, more than 50 hotels will be ready by 2030.
Sustainability (targeting zero greenhouse gas emissions) is fundamental to all aspects of the project. All power will be generated onsite, and 95% will be renewable. Transportation must be as sustainable as the available technology allows. To control energy use and emissions and provide first-class service, all travel within The Red Sea property will use TRSDC’s staff-operated vehicles. TRSDC’s objective is to acquire reliable vehicles for land, air, and sea that have a minimal/zero environmental footprint.
The project team conducted a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to determine what energy source, powertrain types, and vehicles/vessels/aircraft were available worldwide and in KSA. The team identified the optimal balance of sustainability, technology maturity, reliability, and commercial/local availability to develop the downselected list of energy sources and powertrains by subfleet type (e.g., land, air, and marine).
Mott MacDonald determined travel routes, numbers of vehicles needed, travel distances, service frequency, and other related information for all subfleet and vehicle types. Energetics identified options and specifications for vehicles for land applications, charging infrastructure, and energy management systems. Energetics also developed a list of local manufacturer, distribution, and service vendors that could provide the necessary equipment and support.
Using the information gathered, Energetics determined the overall energy use and identified where, when, and what type of charging infrastructure are needed for the land vehicle fleet. Energetics also developed a capital and operating expenditures model to estimate the overall costs.
In addition, Energetics identified and reviewed the required safety and performance standards and requirements related to the import and use of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure equipment in KSA. Understanding the process was critical to ensure readiness for the 2022 opening.
