Saudi Aramco plans to commission its pilot 2.75MW GE wind turbine project in Turaif, the first in the kingdom, in Janurary 2017, as part of a nationwide drive to diversify energy supplies and meet an increase in demand, Reuters reported.

US conglomerate General Electric Company (GE) has recently delivered the equipments that has been customized for climate conditions in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, construction of the foundations is in progress. The output from the single wind turbine is estimated to offset diesel demand for power generation by 18,600 barrels of oil equivalent per year, according to SeeNews Renewables.

Saudi Aramco said in the statement that Saudi Arabia’s wind resource was “exceptional” based on a measurement program it started in 2012. Accordingly, the company selected Turaif among four potential sites for the project, because of its good wind resource, ease of access, and the availability of power connection nearby. The new wind turbine will generate 2.75MW of power at its peak, enough to power around 250 Saudi households,

The kingdom, the world’s largest oil exporter, produces very little renewable energy, representing less than 1 percent of the total produced. But it plans to generate 9.5GW of electricity from renewable energy as part of a reform plan known as Vision 2030.