Techno-enviro-economic evaluation for decarbonizing the transmission network in Saudi Arabia: Optimizing power corridors toward cost-effective net-zero CO₂

Saudi Arabia has set a national target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, which places strong pressure on the power sector to adopt cleaner and more efficient technologies. This study examines how modern overhead transmission line conductors can contribute to that goal through a combined technical, environmental, and economic lens. A structured evaluation model is proposed that merges engineering analysis with statistical assessment to compare widely used conventional conductors against newer designs with enhanced efficiency. The investigation emphasizes reductions in transmission losses, improvements in current-carrying capability, and the resulting environmental benefits. A 380 kV transmission corridor in Saudi Arabia is used as a reference case to test the approach. In fact, four conductor technologies including ACSR, ACAR, AAAC, and ACCC are assessed through a purpose-built calculation tool benchmarked against IEEE and CIGRE practices. At a rated current of 2600 A, the base conductor exhibits annual energy losses of 258.67 MWh/year, whereas the ACCC DHAKA 1020 conductor reduces losses to 136.18 MWh/year, corresponding to a 47% reduction; ACAR 1236 achieves a 36% reduction with losses of 164.65 MWh/year. Conventional ACSR conductors show inconsistent performance, with DRAKE 26/7 reducing losses by only 4%, while HAWK 477 increases losses by approximately 70%, confirming their limited suitability for high-load, long-distance transmission. Additionally, the economic evaluation of a 380 kV, 360 km transmission line operating at 1700 MVA and 50 °C indicates annual operational line-loss costs exceeding SAR 1633 million for the base conductor, which are reduced by 53% when ACCC DHAKA 1020 is employed. These results highlight the importance of adopting advanced conductor technologies as a cost-effective pathway for strengthening transmission networks and aligning them with national sustainability and decarbonization strategies.