On 22 October, utility and renewable energy developers submitted their statements of qualifications (SOQs) for the contracts to develop five renewable energy independent power projects (IPPs) in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), issued the prequalification request for the IPPs making up the sixth round of the kingdom's National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) on 29 September.

Firms that are understood to have submitted SOQs include international developers such as Japan's Marubeni and Jera; France's EDF Renewables, Engie and TotalEnergies Renewables; as well as Chinese and local utility developers.

The projects, comprising four solar photovoltaic (PV) IPPs and one wind IPP, will have a total combined capacity of 4,500MW.

The following schemes comprise the NREP's sixth round:

• 1,500MW Dawadmi wind IPP (Riyadh)
• 1,400MW Najran solar PV IPP (Najran)
• 600MW Samtah solar PV IPP (Jizan)
• 600MW Al-Darb solar PV IPP (Jizan)
• 400MW Al-Sufun solar PV IPP (Hail)

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.

SPPC revealed the following lowest and second-lowest bidders for the contracts to develop four solar PV projects under the fourth round of the NREP on 21 October.

2,000MW Al-Sadawi solar IPP (Eastern Province)

• L1: Abu Dhabi Future Energy (UAE)/Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea)/GD Power Development (China): $c1.29 a kilowatt-hour (kWh)
• L2: SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development (China)/EDF Renewables (France): $c1.31/kWh

Al-Masaa solar IPP (Hail): 1,000MW

• L1: SPIC/EDF Renewables (France): $c1.36/kWh
• L2: AlJomaih Energy & Water (local) / TotalEnergies Renewables (France): $c1.40/kWh

Al-Hinakiyah 2 solar IPP (Medina): 400MW

• L1: SPIC/EDF: $c1.51/kWh
• L2: Masdar/Kepco/Nesma: $c1.57/kWh

Rabigh 2 solar IPP (Mecca): 300MW

• L1: AlJomaih Energy & Water / TotalEnergies Renewables: $c1.78/kWh
• L2: Masdar/Kepco/Nesma: $c1.89/kWh

MEED previously reported that SPPC plans to award the NREP round-five contract before the end of the year.

Photo: Pixabay