Ali Al-heji

Managing NEOM's Integrated Energy Planning program, helping achieve the world's largest 100% renewable energy system by 2030

Leading energy planning strategies and assessing short and long-term projects. Voted as one of the top managers in NEOM by direct reports and peers during 360 assessment. NEOM Long-Term Energy Outlook | Program Manager - Developing a 100% Renewable system utilizing state-of-the-art computational tools and data-driven approaches. The energy outlook delineates the energy investments of circa 60 BUSD that NEOM has to undertake in renewable generation; long and short-duration energy storage and grid infrastructure to achieve the least-cost and 100% renewable energy transition by 2030. NEOM Energy Business Intelligence Platform | Project Manager - Led deep technical insights by managing the team developing business intelligence dashboards while automating data flow across data processing, modeling, and visualization platforms to ensure quick turnover for energy executives regarding critical decision-making and stakeholder alignment. NEOM/KSA Interconnector & Trading Analysis | Project Manager & Technical Lead - Led the technical team analyzing the trading opportunities between NEOM and KSA for energy and ancillary services exchange by implementing detailed technoeconomic modeling of energy assets and constraints. Space-Based Solar Plant Due Diligence | Member, Technoeconomic Committee - Selected as part of the Technoeconomic Committee with a focus on evaluating the long-term potential of space-based solar plants for an investibility, risk, and energy offtake. Energy Storage Portfolio Analysis | Project Lead - Provided detailed analysis for the 100% renewable energy transition; gathered information and data on the energy storage and flexibility portfolio across all time scales; seasons, months, hours, and sub-hourly. Ensured sufficient energy balance capacity and security against system and weather disturbances.

Reviewed and analyzed economic data to prepare reports for decision-making purposes. Held multiple leadership roles across diverse projects for the Ministry of Energy. Technical Lead for the Royal Court - The Supreme Committee of Power Energy Mix Affairs and Enablement of the Renewable Sector. Technical Lead for the Ministry of Energy - Power Sector Integration Group, Power Supply Economic Planning Team The National Integrated Energy Strategy | Electricity Sector Strategy Lead - (Appointed by the Deputy Minister) - Integrated Energy Strategy addressed the strategic integration of oil, gas, and power sectors by ensuring synergized interlinking and avoiding siloed vertical decision planning. The project focus was to co-optimize key decisions in the energy sector including oil production level, allocation of gas, and optimization of the power mix portfolio to achieve the Kingdom's strategic objectives. Energy Demand Forecasting | Project Lead - The project was to develop a bottom-up forecasting approach with individualized treatment to new energy sectors including hydrogen production and electrification. The project was executed as the Kingdom embarked on a new path of economic development and investigation of developing new industries, policies, and accelerated electrification. Power Sector Integration – Integrated Decision Optimization | Team Lead & Model Developer - The project focus was to co-optimize key decisions in the power sector; capacity expansion, retirement, liquid displacement, efficiency improvement, and technology conversions for the cohesiveness of planning/decision-making of the initiatives. Led the updating model database, reviewed technoeconomic parameters and forecasts, planning assumptions and constraints, model calibration, and scenario and sensitivity analysis.

Oversaw the completion of multiple projects regarding renewable energies and investigations of conventional technologies. National Scale Energy Decision Support System (Developed in GAMS) - Developed King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACSTs) long-term power generation and transmission investment model to investigate the optimal investment portfolio of renewable and conventional technologies, hedged against uncertain fuel prices and natural gas availability. National Scale Spatial Visualization of Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), (GIS-Based Approach) - The project focus was to understand the combined effect of temperature, interconnection cost, and proximity to the load center on the LCOE of utility-scale solar. Short-Term Forecasting of KSA Power Demand - Established a mathematical forecasting model for the 24-hour ahead power generation operation to help SEC replace their off-shelf forecasting tool. Applied state-of-the-art machine and statistical learning methods to understand the unique features of KSA power demand. Construction-Automation of Future KSA Housing - Conducted the economics and payback of small-scale solar for residential systems. Led the development of technical criteria to install solar PV systems on future Saudi residential units. Achieved North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) associate solar installation certification.

Designed a feed-in tariff regulation which provided a fair market approach to evaluating the price of solar export to the grid. The team presented findings to the MPSC committee and local energy stakeholders.