Saudi Arabia (SAGC) ride-through requirements
Low-voltage ride-through, High-voltage ride-through, Frequency ride-through for Saudi Arabia. Every breakpoint below is read from the code itself, and carries the clause it came from — so you can check it, not just cite it.
What is the low-voltage ride-through envelope for Saudi Arabia (SAGC)?
The plant must ride through for any voltage that stays on or above this envelope. The envelope holds 0 pu from t = 0 to 300 ms; then ramps linearly from 0 pu at 300 ms to 0.8 pu at 1.3 s; then 0.9 pu from 1.3 s to 30 min; then 0.95 pu from 30 min onward — the last band the envelope defines, with no stated end time.
The clause states this boundary as a line; intermediate points are interpolated between its stated vertices. The last band has no stated end time. The clause below states a continuous region — highlighted.
Applies to Renewable generating units on the SA transmission network
| From | To | Voltage | Between the points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 300 ms | 0 pu | Held flat |
| 300 ms | 1.3 s | 0 → 0.8 pu | Ramps linearly |
| 1.3 s | 30 min | 0.9 pu | Held flat |
| 30 min | no stated end | 0.95 pu | Held flat |
The clause this came from
Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version February 2022, Chapter 2 (Connection Code), clause 2.5.5.23(b)(ii) and Figure 2.5 'Voltage Withstand Capability Diagram' (p.34); continuous/30-min band from clause 2.4.3. The code defines a linear recovery ramp; the vertices are read from the clause and the chart draws the segment between them.
What is the high-voltage ride-through envelope for Saudi Arabia (SAGC)?
The plant must ride through for any voltage that stays on or below this envelope. The envelope holds 1.2 pu from t = 0 to 1 s; then 1.1 pu from 1 s onward — the last band the envelope defines, with no stated end time.
Every breakpoint is stated in the clause cited below.
Applies to Renewable generating units on the SA transmission network
| From | To | Voltage | Between the points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 s | 1.2 pu | Held flat |
| 1 s | no stated end | 1.1 pu | Held flat |
The clause this came from
The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, 2nd Electronic Update Oct 2016, clause 2.5.5.21: 'The Renewable Resource Generating Unit shall remain connected to the Network and continue stable operation if none of the phases exceeds 120% of nominal voltage for more than 1s'; clause 2.5.5.20(b)(ii) upper-side wording and Figure 2.3; steady-state ceiling per 2.4.3 = 1.1 pu.
What is the frequency ride-through envelope for Saudi Arabia (SAGC)?
The plant must ride through between the upper and lower bands. The upper (over-frequency) band holds 62.5 Hz from t = 0 to 30 s; then 61.5 Hz from 30 s to 30 min; then 60.5 Hz from 30 min onward — the last band the envelope defines, with no stated end time. The lower (under-frequency) band holds 57 Hz from t = 0 to 30 s; then 57.5 Hz from 30 s to 30 min; then 58.8 Hz from 30 min onward — the last band the envelope defines, with no stated end time.
Every breakpoint is stated in the clause cited below.
Applies to Renewable generating units on the SA transmission network
Upper limit
| From | To | Frequency | Between the points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 30 s | 62.5 Hz | Held flat |
| 30 s | 30 min | 61.5 Hz | Held flat |
| 30 min | no stated end | 60.5 Hz | Held flat |
Lower limit
| From | To | Frequency | Between the points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 30 s | 57 Hz | Held flat |
| 30 s | 30 min | 57.5 Hz | Held flat |
| 30 min | no stated end | 58.8 Hz | Held flat |
The clause this came from
Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version February 2022, clause 2.4.2.2 (Frequency Variations) table, Chapter 2 p.18.
Operating requirements beyond the envelopes.
The envelopes above are what Saudi Arabia (SAGC) demands during a disturbance. The rows below are the same regime’s operating and fault-response requirements — reactive capability, frequency response, continuous operating range, RoCoF withstand and fault-current injection — each researched from the document its own row cites, separately from the plotted corpus. Every row carries its clause and a verbatim quote, so you can check it the same way.
| Requirement | What the code states | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| PPM Q envelope ±0.33 p.u. above 20% P (±0.05 below) Reactive capability | Q = [-0.33, +0.33] of rated active power at the connection point for Active Power output above 20% of rated power; Q limited to [-0.05, +0.05] of rated power for Active Power output below 20% of rated power. Basis: rated active power. Shown as Figure 4: P-Q Diagram (PPM). Binds all Power Park Modules at the transmission connection point (SAGC Connection Code, generator requirements part (ii) per §2.11.11.1). BESS is handled in §2.11.15 'Requirements for Asynchronous Generators (inc BESS/HVDC)'; §2.11.15.10 additionally requires BESS to be designed to provide full Reactive Power capability through the full SoC range (SoCmin to SoCmax) as required by the relevant System Services Agreement ('should be designed' modal). A lower active-power threshold than 20% may be agreed expressly by the TSP in the Connection Agreement. The same numeric values were verified in the February-2022 edition at §2.5.5.1/Figure 2.1 — the May-2026 edition renumbers them to §2.11.13.1-2.11.13.2/Figure 4. Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. | §2.11.13.1 and §2.11.13.2; Figure 4: P-Q Diagram (PPM) (printed p. 37) + §2.11.13.2 (printed p. 37) |
The clauses this row cites§2.11.13.1 and §2.11.13.2; Figure 4: P-Q Diagram (PPM) (printed p. 37) — “ All Power Park Modules shall be capable of absorbing or supplying Reactive Power output at the connection point within the range Q = [-0.33, 0.33] of rated active power for Active Power output above 20% of rated power, unless a lower value of Active Power threshold is agreed upon expressly by the TSP in the Connection Agreement. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) §2.11.13.2 (printed p. 37) — “ Power Park Modules shall be capable of limiting reactive power output at the connection point within the range Q= [-0.05, 0.05] of rated power for Active Power output below 20% of rated power, unless a lower value of Active Power threshold is agreed upon expressly by the TSP in the Connection Agreement. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
| Distribution BESS: four-quadrant ±33% Mvar rectangle (PF 0.95) Reactive capability | Rectangular four-quadrant capability: |Q| = 33% of rating capacity in Mvar available at full charging power (Pc) and full discharging power (Pd); at 1 p.u. active power this corresponds to power factor 0.95 (lead or lag) at the rectangle apex points (set points A/B in charging, C/D in discharging; Figure 7). Required Q accuracy: 'above 2% of accuracy' and shall not exceed 10% of Sn. Explicitly BESS-scoped: SEC standard for BESS operating in parallel with SEC LV & MV distribution networks, at the Exit Point, applicable when voltage and frequency are within normal operating ranges. Charge/discharge asymmetry: Pc and Pd may be unsymmetrical and must be declared in the applicant's design documents. Footnote 5 (PDF p. 19) defines 1 p.u. active power as the nominal active power of the BESS, with capability corresponding to PF 0.95 leading (inductive Q absorbed) to 0.95 lagging (inductive Q generated). This is the distribution-level companion to the transmission SAGC; it states it extends the Distribution Code (April 2021) for BESS as defined in WERA Regulations. Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. The reactive-power accuracy figures — 'above 2% of accuracy' and the 10%-of-Sn ceiling — are not carried in the quoted text, which covers only the Figure 7 capability requirement and Set Point A. | §6.7.1 Reactive power capability; Figure 7 - Reactive power capability in Charging and Discharging Modes (PDF pp. 18-19) + §6.7.1, Set Point A (PDF p. 19) |
The clauses this row cites§6.7.1 Reactive power capability; Figure 7 - Reactive power capability in Charging and Discharging Modes (PDF pp. 18-19) — “ When voltage and frequency at the Exit Point are within their normal operating ranges, a BESS shall be able to provide reactive power in any operating point within the boundaries of the reactive power capability curves defined in Figure 7. According to this capability, the inverters shall be able to either generate or absorb reactive power, in order to participate to voltage support at the Exit Point. ” (Battery Energy Storage System — Standards for Connection (SEC), accessed 2026-08-08) §6.7.1, Set Point A (PDF p. 19) — “ Set Point A: The BESS can charge the batteries up to 100% of the capacity and it is controlled to support the voltage with 33% of the rating capacity in Mvar by absorbing the necessary reactive power and operating at power factor 0.95 Lag. ” (Battery Energy Storage System — Standards for Connection (SEC), accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
| PPM droop 2-8% (set point 5%), deadband ≤0.05 Hz Frequency response | Active Power Droop adjustable within 2% and 8%; normal set point generally at 5%; Total Frequency Regulation Deadband (inherent plus intentional) 0.05 Hz or less. Active-power modulation required in the ranges [57 Hz, 59.8 Hz] (below 59.8 Hz) and [60.2 Hz, 62.5 Hz] (above 60.2 Hz) per §2.11.13.10; frequency-measurement accuracy ±10 mHz or better per §2.11.13.3; activation/deactivation automatic on TSP request per §2.11.13.9. Binds Power Park Modules (SAGC Connection Code). BESS treatment: §2.11.15.3-2.11.15.6 give a BESS/HVDC-explicit overlay — the facility shall provide the specified frequency response, with default Droop settings ranging between 2% to 8% agreed between TSP and Generator (nominal settings per Figure 9, printed p. 50), and 'mandatory, instantaneous Active Power response'; the action taken by the BESS depends on charging vs discharging mode (low frequency: in charging mode reduce demand, stop charging, change to discharge; high frequency: in discharging mode gradually reduce output and change to charging). No numeric activation/full-response time is stated in §2.11.13 or §2.11.15 (FFR timing is left to the System Services Agreement, see the separate 4.31.2 claim). Synchronous units have the same 2-8% droop / 5% set point / 0.05 Hz deadband via §2.11.14.6-2.11.14.7. Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. | §2.11.13.7 and §2.11.13.8 (printed p. 38); see also §2.11.13.10, §2.11.15.3-2.11.15.6, Figure 9 (printed p. 50) + §2.11.13.8 (printed p. 38) |
The clauses this row cites§2.11.13.7 and §2.11.13.8 (printed p. 38); see also §2.11.13.10, §2.11.15.3-2.11.15.6, Figure 9 (printed p. 50) — “ Each Power Park Module shall be capable of regulating its Active Power under normal operating conditions through modulation of the Active Power as a function of frequency deviations. The Active Power Droop shall be adjustable within 2% and 8%. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) §2.11.13.8 (printed p. 38) — “ The normal set point shall be generally at 5%. Total Frequency Regulation Deadband (inherent plus intentional) shall be 0.05 Hz or less. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
| BESS Fast Frequency Response (Operating Code) Frequency response | BESS facilities connected to the Transmission System shall be capable of Fast Frequency Response; additional Active Power injected in response to measured frequency changes to improve Frequency Nadir or initial RoCoF; the additional power and the response time are stated in the relevant System Services Agreement. Accuracy of the completed FFR must not deviate by more than 1% over a period of 1 minute. Explicitly BESS-scoped (the clause names 'BESS Facilities connected to the Transmission System'). Located in Chapter 4 Operating Code under §4.31 (Frequency Control/Operating Reserve context). No universal MW magnitude or ms response time is fixed in the code itself — both are delegated to the System Services Agreement; only the 1%-over-1-minute completed-response accuracy is a fixed numeric requirement (§4.31.3). Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. | §4.31.2 and §4.31.3 (printed p. 118) + §4.31.3 (printed p. 118) |
The clauses this row cites§4.31.2 and §4.31.3 (printed p. 118) — “ BESS Facilities connected to the Transmission System shall be capable of Fast Frequency Response. Additional Active Power shall be injected into the System in response to changes in measured frequency to improve the Frequency Nadir or initial Rate of Change of Frequency. The additional Power and the response time will be stated in the relevant System Services Agreement. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) §4.31.3 (printed p. 118) — “ The accuracy of the completed Fast Frequency Response must not deviate by more than 1% over a period of 1 minute. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
| Frequency bands 58.8-60.5 Hz continuous; voltage ±5%/±10% Continuous operating range | Nominal 60 Hz; TSP maintains 59.9-60.1 Hz in normal operation. Design/operation bands (Table 1): 58.8-60.0 Hz (below nominal) and 60.0-60.5 Hz (above nominal) = Continuous; 57.5-58.7 Hz and 60.6-61.5 Hz = for a period of 30 minutes; 57.0-57.4 Hz and 61.6-62.5 Hz = for a period of 30 seconds. Voltage (Table 2, 110/115/132/230/380 kV): Normal Range ±5%, 30-Minute Range ±10% at every listed voltage level. Table 1 binds the design of Generators' Plant and Apparatus generally (Connection Code §2.10.2.2, System Performance Characteristics); Table 2 describes TSP system voltage variations users must be designed for (§2.10.3.1). BESS link: §2.11.15.2 applies a normal-operating-range envelope for active power under frequency and voltage deviations to asynchronous facilities including BESS/HVDC (Figure 8: 'Normal operating range: Asynchronous facilities, 110-380 kV', printed p. 48), with frequency deviations below 57.5 Hz and above 61.5 Hz referred back to §2.10.2.2. Same band values as the February-2022 edition's clause 2.4.2.2 table, renumbered to §2.10.2.2/Table 1. Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. | §2.10.2.1-2.10.2.2, Table 1: System frequency variations (printed p. 26) + §2.10.3.1, Table 2: System voltage variations (printed p. 26) |
The clauses this row cites§2.10.2.1-2.10.2.2, Table 1: System frequency variations (printed p. 26) — “ Table 1: System frequency variations | Below Nominal Frequency (Hz) | Above Nominal Frequency (Hz) | Operation Requirement || 58.8 - 60.0 | 60.0 - 60.5 | Continuous || 57.5 - 58.7 | 60.6 - 61.5 | for a period of 30 minutes || 57.0 - 57.4 | 61.6 - 62.5 | for a period of 30 seconds ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) §2.10.3.1, Table 2: System voltage variations (printed p. 26) — “ The voltage at any point on the TSP system will normally remain within the nominal values as stated in the table below, unless abnormal conditions prevail. Under exceptional circumstances, the maximum over voltage limits stated below should not be exceeded for more than thirty (30) minutes ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
| RoCoF withstand: 2.5 Hz/s (PPM), 500 ms sliding window RoCoF withstand | Power Park Modules: operate through any RoCoF up to 2.5 Hz/s without disconnection (other than triggered by loss-of-mains protection), RoCoF measured over a sliding 500 ms time period. Synchronous Generating Units: 1 Hz/s, same 500 ms sliding measurement window. The 2.5 Hz/s clause binds Power Park Modules; the 1 Hz/s clause binds synchronous units. BESS is not named in §2.11.13.4 itself: BESS sits in §2.11.15 ('Requirements for Asynchronous Generators (inc BESS/HVDC)'), which extends PPM fault-operate-through requirements to BESS (§2.11.15.7) but contains no BESS-specific RoCoF number — so the applicable RoCoF immunity for converter-based BESS follows the PPM clause only to the extent BESS is treated as a PPM/asynchronous facility; the code does not state a BESS-named RoCoF figure. (The SEC distribution BESS standard has a dedicated 'ROCOF withstand capability' section §6.5.2 for LV/MV BESS, not quoted here.) Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. | §2.11.13.4 (printed p. 38) + §2.11.14.2 (printed p. 44) |
The clauses this row cites§2.11.13.4 (printed p. 38) — “ All Power Park Modules shall be capable of operating through any Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF) up to 2.5Hz/s without disconnection from the network other than triggered by loss of mains protection. The Rate of Change of Frequency shall be measured over a sliding 500ms time period. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) §2.11.14.2 (printed p. 44) — “ All Synchronous Generating Units shall be capable of operating through any Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF) up to 1Hz/s without disconnecting from the network other than triggered by loss of mains protection. The Rate of Change of Frequency shall be measured over a sliding 500 milliseconds time period. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
| Dynamic voltage support: k up to 2% current per % ΔU; BESS bound Fault-current injection | Additional reactive current injection as a linear function of the voltage change ΔU vs pre-disturbance value; droop adjustable on TSP request from 0 (minimum) to 2% of rated current per percent of voltage drop (maximum); total reactive current injection limited to 100% of rated current; capacitive behavior for undervoltage, inductive for overvoltage; at least 2/3 of the target reactive current within 20 ms and the target reached with 10% accuracy within 60 ms of the voltage deviation; support maintained at least 400 ms after voltage recovery. Chapeau modal is 'may be required by the TSP': it applies to each Power Park Module that does not inherently provide short-circuit power and has Registered Capacity greater than 25 MW in aggregate (§2.11.13.18, items (i)-(ix); the 100%-of-rated-current limit is item (i), the 20/60 ms response is item (vi), the 400 ms hold is item (vii), inductive/overvoltage-capacitive/undervoltage is item (v); active current may be limited to enable the support, item (iv); no priority over AVR/active-power control in the normal and 30-minute voltage ranges, item (ii)). BESS applicability is explicit: §2.11.15.7 extends PPM fault-operate-through requirements to BESS in both charging and discharging modes and obliges the BESS facility to provide maximum voltage support by delivering a controlled amount of additional reactive current within the fault operate-through area (quote2). Unsymmetrical faults: item (ix) only requires that support not escalate healthy-phase overvoltages — no numeric negative-sequence injection requirement is stated. Access caveat: the issuer host (se.com.sa) blocks direct download, so this quote was matched against a text extraction of the official PDF rather than the PDF bytes themselves — a single rendering layer read twice, not two independent reads — and no byte-level archive copy exists. | §2.11.13.18, item (iii) (printed pp. 41-42) + §2.11.15.7 (printed p. 50) |
The clauses this row cites§2.11.13.18, item (iii) (printed pp. 41-42) — “ The droop of this linear function shall be adjustable on request of the TSP from 0 additional reactive current injection (minimum droop) to an additional reactive current injection of 2% of the rated current per percent of the voltage drop (maximum droop). ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) §2.11.15.7 (printed p. 50) — “ The requirements for operating through faults in Power Park Modules (PPMs) are also applicable to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and HVDC systems. These requirements are applicable to BESS in both charging and discharging modes. Above 0.9 p.u., the BESS must be capable of maintaining normal operation. Within the PPM Fault operate through capability area, the BESS facility must provide maximum voltage support by delivering a controlled amount of additional reactive current to ensure that the BESS contributes to the voltage stabilization within the design capabilities of the BESS. ” (The Saudi Arabian Grid Code, Updated Version: May 2026, accessed 2026-08-08) | ||
Who does Saudi Arabia (SAGC) bind, and since when?
Renewable generating units on the SA transmission network. No date of effect is published here — grid codes are reissued, so check the current issue before relying on it.
These figures are a reading aid, not legal advice. Grid codes are reissued: verify against the current edition before you design to them.
Curve data last checked against the code on — 66 standards, 130 envelopes, published by bess.engineer under CC BY 4.0.
Questions this page answers about Saudi Arabia (SAGC)
- Does Saudi Arabia (SAGC) require ride-through, or only that the plant does not trip?
- Ride-through. Every envelope on this page is a performance duty the plant must meet, not a protection-setting no-trip boundary — they are different obligations. That is what these curves are; they are not everything Saudi Arabia (SAGC) contains. The requirement sentence under each chart says which side of the curve is the compliant one.
- Are the numbers on this page taken from Saudi Arabia (SAGC) itself?
- Yes. Every breakpoint is read from the code, and each envelope carries the clause it came from, quoted in full under its chart — so you can check the figure against the standard rather than cite it from this page.
- Which events are charted for Saudi Arabia (SAGC)?
- Saudi Arabia (SAGC) is charted here with 3 envelopes — low-voltage ride-through, high-voltage ride-through, frequency ride-through (LVRT, HVRT, FRT).
Ride-through, in context.
An envelope is a compliance boundary; understanding why it exists is a different question. The ride-through and grid-forming entries cover the engineering, and the Engineering Foundations course builds it from the physics up.
Other markets: Kenya (KNTGC VRPP), Morocco (CRENT), Nigeria (TCN Grid Code), Ontario (IESO Market Rules App. 4.2), Quebec (Hydro-Quebec D-2022-088), South Africa (NRS 097 / RPP)