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Firms prepare 1.5GW Saudi wind bids

27 March 2025

 

Prequalified developers have formed consortiums and are preparing their proposals for a contract to develop a wind independent power project (IPP) under the sixth round of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP).

Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), prequalified firms that can bid for the contract in November last year and issued the request for proposals in December.

According to industry sources, SPPC expects to receive bids for the 1,500MW Dawadmi wind IPP by 15 May.

Located in Riyadh, the scheme is the fifth wind IPP to be tendered by SPPC since it kicked off the NREP in 2017.

Eleven companies have been prequalified to bid as managing and technical members. These are:

  • Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar, UAE)
  • EDF Renewables (France)
  • Kahrabel / Engie (France)
  • Marubeni Corporation (Japan)
  • Sembcorp Utilities (Singapore)
  • Sumitomo Corporation (Japan)
  • Total Energies Renewables (France)
  • Goldwind Science & Technology (China)
  • PowerChina
  • Alfanar Company
  • SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development

The following eight companies have been prequalified to bid as managing members:

  • Al-Jomaih Energy & Water (local)
  • JInko Power (Hong Kong)
  • Saudi Electricity Company (local)
  • China Power Engineering Consulting Group International Engineering Company (China)
  • Posco International Corporation (South Korea)
  • Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea)
  • Nareva Holding (Morocco)
  • Jera (Japan)

Another firm, the local Nesma Renewable Company, has been prequalified as a technical member.

MEED understands several developer consortiums have formed following the site visit in Riyadh province held earlier this year.

In addition to the Dawadmi wind IPP, the following schemes comprise round six of the NREP:

  • 1,400MW Najran solar photovoltaic (PV) IPP (Najran)
  • 600MW Samtah solar PV IPP (Jizan)
  • 600MW Al-Darb solar PV IPP (Jizan)
  • 400MW Al-Sufun solar PV IPP (Hail)

These schemes take the total capacity of publicly tendered solar and wind projects by SPPC to close to 15,000MW.

SPPC is responsible for the pre-development, tendering and subsequent offtaking of the energy from the projects.

US/India-based Synergy Consulting is providing financial advisory services to SPPC for the NREP sixth-round tender. Germany’s Fichtner Consulting and US-headquartered CMS are providing technical and legal consultancy services, respectively.

The previous wind farms that SPPC has tendered include the 400MW Dumat Al-Jandal wind IPP, which is operational.

Last year, SPPC signed the power-purchase agreements with Japan’s Marubeni Corporation for the contracts to develop and operate the 600MW Al-Ghat and 500MW Waad Al-Shamal wind IPPs. The projects reached financial close in November.

The third wind IPP, a 750MW scheme in Yanbu, is undergoing review.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13569750/main.jpg
Jennifer Aguinaldo

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