Twelve Instagrid ONE units. Four Instagrid LINK systems. One fully off-grid race site in the Saudi desert. Instagrid will return as power support partner for the second FIA Extreme H World Cup, staged in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, this October.
From proving ground to scaled deployment
Instagrid first supported Extreme H at the inaugural FIA World Cup in 2025. The race site sat on the desert plain at the base of the Tuwaiq Mountains: completely off-grid, exposed to high winds, dust, and temperatures approaching 40°C. Four Instagrid ONE units and two Instagrid LINK systems ran as two paired portable power supplies, each pair delivering continuous AC power to one of the two start gantries on the course. Units were recharged each evening directly from the Tamgo hydrogen fuel cell and Altaaqa Alternative Solutions BESS battery storage system, as part of a self-sustaining energy setup in highly demanding conditions.
That deployment worked. It validated the energy system's use well beyond a single event. The 2026 race builds directly on that result.
How the 2026 setup works
For this year’s event the deployment expands to 12 Instagrid ONE units and four Instagrid LINK systems, organised across two operational modes.
Paired units (two Instagrid ONE units connected via Instagrid LINK) will cover fixed, high-demand positions on the racecourse:
Remote start gantry
Remote camera positions
Single Instagrid ONE units will cover flexible and contingency roles across the event:
Remote drone charging on the course
Emergency response team support, providing power for tools and lighting
General tool power and lighting during the event build
Remote power for the car quarantine area if required
As in 2025, all units will be recharged from the event's self-sufficient energy hub. Zero local emissions on site throughout.
Al Masaood, Instagrid's distribution partner in the United Arab Emirates, will manage supply and delivery. The Instagrid Middle East team will support on-site servicing throughout the event.
Muhanad Khayal, Market Development Lead for the Middle East at Instagrid, said: "Extreme H is one of the most demanding environments we operate in. Twelve units across multiple functions at a FIA World Cup event is a strong proof point for what portable power supply can do when it is properly integrated into a renewable energy setup."
Andy Welch, Extreme H's Global Hydrogen Development Manager, added: "We're delighted to be partnering with Instagrid for the second FIA Extreme H World Cup. Their power systems will continue to play a vital role in the delivery of an entirely off-grid, world-class motorsport event. We look forward to building upon the success of last year's inaugural race."
Extreme H is the world's first hydrogen-powered off-road motorsport. Each event is designed to maximise energy from hydrogen fuel cell generation and solar arrays, combined with battery energy storage systems and portable power solutions for smaller and remote power needs. Instagrid's role in Qiddiya City extends that principle to the operational edge of the event: the places where a cable cannot reach and reliable, instant power is event-critical.
This deployment builds upon what the 2025 event demonstrated: with the right technology, large-scale events can be operated anywhere, including the most remote and demanding locations on the planet.
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For more information on the FIA Extreme H World Cup, visit www.fiaextremeh.com