Tanmiah unveils geothermal-cooling pivot for Saudi poultry

Riyadh – Tanmiah Food Company, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest vertically integrated poultry and food producers, has signed three strategic memoranda of understanding and launched what it calls the region’s first geothermal-cooled poultry facility, marking a significant move in its sustainability and decarbonisation drive. The agreements were unveiled during the inaugural Saudi Agri‑Food Tech Alliance Forum at the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Riyadh, under the patronage of Vice-Minister Mansour Hilal Al Mushaiti and alongside deputising input from Dr Abdulaziz Al Malik, the Deputy Minister for Research & Innovation.

Tanmiah’s three new MoUs involve partnerships with Schneider Electric, to develop a carbon-inventory and emissions-reduction roadmap aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative; with Saudi start-up Strataphy, to deploy a geothermal cooling system at Tanmiah’s Shaqrah facility under a “Cooling as a Service” model; and with Kayes Arabia, to convert diesel-powered equipment across farms and processing plants to liquefied petroleum gas systems. The three-fold collaboration reflects a strategic effort to reduce operational emissions, upgrade energy systems, and embed sustainability in Tanmiah’s production and supply-chain operations.

The geothermal-cooled facility at Shaqrah is positioned by Tanmiah as a first-in-the-Middle-East milestone in poultry operations, leveraging Strataphy’s shallow borehole technology to harness stable subsurface temperatures and replace energy-intensive cooling systems—especially relevant in Saudi Arabia’s high ambient temperature context. Strataphy CEO Ammar Alali described the pilot as “a major milestone … for the future of sustainable food production in the region” and said the system offers “a competitive, cost-saving solution that aligns perfectly with our long-term growth and environmental goals”. The technology will be installed as a full-stack offering—design, drilling, installation and operations & maintenance—under a subscription model that shifts the cost burden from capital expenditure to predictable operational cost.

Tanmiah CEO Zulfiqar Hamadani commented that the initiative “represents a defining moment in Tanmiah’s sustainability journey. We are uniting technology, innovation and strategic collaboration to turn climate ambitions into real and measurable outcomes and bottom-line impact.” The company has stated that the geothermal deployment forms part of a broader rollout vision across multiple facilities, with the initial pilot at Shaqrah serving as a proof-case to inform expansion and scalability.

At the Schneider Electric partnership, Tanmiah will use the global electrification and automation firm’s expertise to map its current emissions baseline, set measurable reduction targets aligned to the FLAG guidance under the SBTi framework, and integrate supplier-capacity building into its value chain. The Kayes Arabia MoU will focus on retrofitting diesel-powered assets with LPG alternatives, with expected operational cost advantages as well as emissions savings. MEWA Vice-Minister Al Mushaiti welcomed the move as aligning with the Kingdom’s environmental transformation agenda under Saudi Vision 2030, emphasising that food-production systems must integrate low-carbon technologies to meet national decarbonisation targets.

Industry analysts say the move underscores a broader shift in the region’s agri-food sector, where cooling and refrigeration represent significant energy drains. A 2019 study by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology estimated that over 70 per cent of electricity demand in Saudi buildings is attributed to cooling. By targeting that area, Tanmiah’s strategy may confer both environmental and economic advantages, as cooling-related energy expense and grid dependency become more costly and scrutinised.

Nevertheless, questions remain about the level of proof of long-term performance for geothermal cooling in the agri-food sector in harsh climates, and the scalability of such a subscription service model across smaller farms. Analysts note that while the pilot approach mitigates risk, full commercial roll-out will require strong performance data, measurable returns, and the backing of robust service agreements. Tanmiah’s transparency in tracking and publishing those results will be key to its credibility in the decarbonisation space.