Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) is preparing to issue the request for proposals (RFP) for the contracts to develop and maintain four solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a total combined capacity of 3,700MW before the end of the first quarter of this year.

The solar PV independent power producer (IPP) projects make up the National Renewable Energy Programme's fifth round.

The projects and their capacities are:  

• Al-Sadawi solar IPP (Eastern Province): 2,000MW
• Al-Mas solar IPP (Hail): 1,000MW
• Al-Hinakiyah 2 solar IPP (Medina): 400MW
• Rabigh 2 solar IPP (Mecca): 300MW

SPPC received statements of qualifications from interested developers for the contracts in November.

MEED understands the companies that submitted SOQs for the contracts include:

• Acwa Power (local)
• Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa)
• Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar)
• Aljomaih Energy & Water Company (Jenwa, local)
• EDF (France)
• Engie (France)
• Jera (Japan)
• Jinko Power (China)
• Marubeni (Japan)
• Nesma (local)

SPPC, the kingdom's principal buyer, kicked off the procurement process for the NREP fifth-round projects, MEED reported in November. 

US/India-based Synergy Consulting is providing financial advisory services to SPPC for the NREP fifth-round tender.  

Saudi Arabia publicly tendered over 6,600MW of renewable energy capacity between 2017 and 2023. Solar PV IPPs account for 66 per cent, or about 4,400MW of the total capacity.

Four wind IPPs account for the remaining capacity.

At least three of these renewables schemes are now operational: the 300MW Sakaka solar PV, the 400MW Dumat al-Jandal wind IPP and the Rabigh solar IPP projects.

Round four

SPPC signed the 25-year power-purchase agreements (PPAs) with the successful bidders for the 1,100MW Hinakiyah 1 solar IPP and 400MW Tubarjal solar IPP projects in November.

SPPC signed a PPA with a team led by France's EDF Renewables for the contract to develop the 1,100MW Hinakiyah solar IPP project.

The French firm, in consortium with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the local company Nesma, proposed to develop the project for $cents1.68 a kilowatt-hour.

SPPC also signed a PPA with a consortium led by China's Jinko Power for the contract to develop and maintain the 400MW Tubarjal solar IPP scheme.

The principal buyer is reviewing the five bids it received in late October for the three wind IPP projects under round four of the NREP.  

SPPC is procuring through a public tendering process 30 per cent of the kingdom's target renewable energy installed capacity of 58,700MW by 2030.

Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund, is procuring the rest through the Price Discovery Scheme.