Prequalified developers have four months to prepare proposals for the contracts to develop and operate four solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Saudi Arabia with a total combined capacity of 3,700MW.

It is understood that Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) expects to receive bids by 10 June for the contracts to develop four solar PV independent power producer (IPP) projects that are being tendered under the fifth procurement round of the kingdom's National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP).

The following solar PV IPP projects and their capacities make up round five of the NREP:

• 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 recently announced a list of 23 prequalified companies that can bid for the contracts.

According to SPPC, the following companies have been prequalified as managing and technical members of any potential consortium that may bid for the contracts:

• Abu Dhabi Future Energy (Masdar, UAE)
• Aljomaih Energy & Water (Jenwa, local)
• Alfanar Company (local)
• B Grimm Public Power Company (Thailand)
• BGL Renewable Energy Systems Installation (UAE)
• EDF Renewables (France)
• FAS Energy (local)
• Itochu Corporation (Japan)
• Jinko Power (Hong Kong)
• Kahrabel (UAE/France)
• Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea)
• Marubeni Corporation (Japan)
• Nebras Company (Qatar)
• Nesma Renewable Energy (local)
• Samsung C&T (South Korea)
• SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development (China)
• Sumitomo Corporation (Japan)
• Total Energies Renewables (France)

The following companies have been prequalified to bid as managing partner only:

• GEK Terna (Greece)
• Gulf Energy Development Public Company (Thailand)
• Jera (Japan)
• Power Construction Corporation (China)
• Saudi Electricity Company (local)

Saudi utility developer Acwa Power is not among the prequalified developers for the NREP fifth-round projects.

Partly owned by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Acwa Power is the PIF's principal partner for the development of 70% of the kingdom's planned renewable energy capacity until 2030.

SPPC, the kingdom's principal buyer, started the procurement process for the NREP fifth-round projects in November. It received statements of qualifications from interested developers for the contracts the same month.

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

The round five solar PV IPPs take the total capacity of publicly tendered renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia to over 10,300MW. Solar PV IPPs account for 79%, or about 8,100MW, of the total capacity.

Four wind IPPs account for the remaining capacity.

At least three of these publicly tendered 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 a 25-year power-purchase agreement (PPA) with the successful bidders for both the 1,100MW Hinakiyah 1 solar IPP and 400MW Tubarjal solar IPP projects in November. The projects make up round four of the NREP. 

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. In consortium with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the local company Nesma Renewable Energy, the French firm 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 received in late October for the three wind IPP projects under round four of the NREP.  

SPPC is procuring 30% of the kingdom's target renewable energy installed capacity of 58,700MW through a public tendering process by 2030. The PIF is procuring the rest through the Price Discovery Scheme.