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Sonelgaz retenders solar PV contracts

7 February 2025

Sonelgaz Energie Renouvelables, a subsidiary of Algeria’s state-owned utility, has tendered the contracts for three solar photovoltaic projects in the country.

The tendered schemes have a total combined capacity of 520MW. These are:

  • 120MW Kenadsa (Bechar)
  • 150MW Touggourt (Touggourt)
  • 250MW Tamacine (Touggourt)

Sonelgaz issued the request for proposals in January and set 6 February as the last day for interested bidders to submit their proposals.

Two of these contracts have been tendered previously.

Last year, Sonelgaz picked the winning bidders for the 120MW Kenadsa and 150MW Touggourt solar projects, along with 14 other schemes.

A team comprising local Cosider Canalisation and Italy’s Fimer was selected to undertake the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for the 120MW Kenadsa and 150MW Touggourt solar power plant projects.

The consortium offered to build the solar farms for levelised electricity costs of AD6.739 a kilowatt-hour (kWh) and AD7.660/kWh, respectively.

The previously tendered 15 packages have a total combined capacity of 2,000MW, requiring an investment of about AD172bn ($1.2bn). 

A team comprising China International Water & Electric (CWE), China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction (HXCC) and Yellow River Engineering Consulting Company (YREC) won five packages, which have a total capacity of 780MW.

The five projects in Abadia, Batmet, Gueltet Sidi Saad, Douar El-Maa and Ouled Djellal will require a total investment of roughly AD65.1bn.

Other Chinese-led companies were selected for four other schemes: Shanxi Installation Group won the contract to develop the 80MW Ouled Fadel scheme; China State Construction Engineering Group won the 200MW Tendla solar project; a team of Power China International and Sinohydro will implement the 200MW Laghrous solar project; and Power China Zhongnan Engineering Corporation has been selected to develop the 150MW solar scheme in Khenguet Sidi Sadji.

One other group has won more than one contract. A team of local Cosider Canalisation and Italy’s Fimer won the 150MW Touggurt solar PV project and the 120MW Kenadsa solar scheme.

The local Hamdi also bagged two contracts: the 80MW El-Euche solar scheme and another 70MW scheme in Taleb Larbi. 

The bid for the 80MW scheme in Ksar Chellala was cancelled.

Some 28 companies submitted 90 separate bids for the contracts to build solar PV power plants in the country, MEED reported in October 2023.

The projects comprise the first phase of a plan to develop 15,000MW of solar PV capacity in the country, according to Sonelgaz.

Algeria’s installed solar PV capacity as of the end of 2021 stood at over 420MW, or about 2% of total installed power generation capacity.

The country’s National Renewable Energy & Efficiency Development Plan, announced in 2015, aims to increase the domestic renewable generation capacity to 22GW, or 27% of the total domestic generation capacity, by 2030.

Solar PV is expected to contribute more than 13.5GW of the total.

READ THE FEBRUARY MEED BUSINESS REVIEW

Trump unleashes tech opportunities; Doha achieves diplomatic prowess and economic resilience; GCC water developers eye uptick in award activity in 2025.

Published on 1 February 2025 and distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February MEED Business Review includes:

> WATER & WASTEWATER: Water projects require innovation
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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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