INTEGRATION OF BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS WITH HYBRID POWER GENERATION FOR RELIABLE AND LOW-EMISSION DATA CENTRES IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is fast expanding digital infrastructure, cloud services and artificial-intelligence workloads, while national energy policy supports renewable generation, reliability improvement and less dependence on liquid-fuelled power. Data centres require a constant supply of high-quality electricity, but they are power-hungry, thermal-sensitive and difficult to interrupt. This paper reviews the integration of battery energy storage systems with hybrid photovoltaic, wind, grid and backup generation for reliable and low emission data centres in Saudi Arabia. The paper employs a structured review approach based on hybrid microgrid optimization studies: evidence is mapped, design variables identified, candidate architectures compared and reliability, economic, environmental and operational criteria synthesized. The review indicates that BESS is not just an emergency UPS replacement. When controlled by an energy management system, it can smooth out renewable variability, reduce diesel generator run-time, shave peaks, provide short-duration ride-through, defer grid stress and protect service-level commitments. The strongest architecture for Saudi data-centre applications includes Solar PV, selective wind or grid import, high-efficiency lithium-ion or alternative BESS, conventional or hydrogen-ready backup, thermal-aware despatch and cyber-secure monitoring. The work proposes a practical approach for sizing, dispatching, and governing hybrid power systems supported by BESS under Saudi climatic, regulatory, and sustainability conditions.