The Line is one of the largest and most prestigious projects globally. It is not only distinguished by its commitment to the environment because of the energy it uses, but also because it seeks to overcome the established population limits. It is based on an infrastructure that will be able to meet all the needs of a modern society.
A megaproject that has the whole world waiting for the result
Best of all, it has an environmentally friendly approach as it seeks zero-emission facilities and large green rest areas. This ambitious project aims to create a living space that promotes sustainability, innovation and quality of life for a large number of inhabitants, without the need to travel for long periods of time.
Well, this project in Saudi Arabia is looking to house around 9 million people in a surprisingly large facility, making it the first linear city globally, including its 200-metre wide and 170-kilometre long Neom. This positions the country as one of the most prominent in innovation and sustainability.
On the other hand, it is important to highlight that this project will be realised with 34 blocks that will be linked by an innovative underground transport system. In addition, each of these large blocks, which will be 200 metres wide and 500 metres high, will have all the structures and spaces necessary for daily life, including green spaces.
Major economic issues associated with the project and energy implications
For a project of this magnitude, it is extremely necessary to emphasise that it is intended to be sustainable and totally sustainable, which is why it requires a great deal of support from renewable energy. Taking advantage of the fact that the infrastructure will be positioned in the desert, it is best to opt for large solar panels.
These same solar panels will be implemented along the length and width of the outer walls of The line, giving the appearance of a large mirror 170 kilometres long, 200 metres wide and 500 metres long. That is a lot of solar panels to supply all the inhabitants of this project.
As already mentioned, the colossal infrastructure is expected to be approximately 170 kilometres long. However, the unexpected reduction of the population has had a radical impact on this plan, causing the projected length to be drastically reduced to only 2.4 kilometres, which will also affect the amount of solar panels implemented in the project.
An unexpected twist changes the course of the project’s structure
Although the developers are still working on ‘The Line’, the megacity under development, the approval of the budget by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund is still pending. This has resulted in an extension of construction deadlines to 2045, when the estimated date was 2040, as well as a drastic reduction of the budget by almost 75%, with the budget now valued at around $15 billion.
Despite this extensive list of unforeseen financial challenges and a wave of delays due to the aforementioned, the overall goals of the project remain on track, according to reports from Bloomberg newspaper, where they claim that workers have not stopped despite the problems that have arisen in the process.
The Line project to be carried out in Saudi Arabia, although ambitious and with truly admirable goals oriented towards sustainability and quality of life, is structured to face major challenges such as considerable cuts in the overall project budget and serious adjustments in the project planning, with the method of energy collection being one of the pillars that will be affected by these changes
