The Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) has announced the winners for 4.5 GW of solar PV and wind energy projects in Saudi Arabia. Solar PV technology leads with 4 out of 5 projects worth over SAR 9 billion ($2.4 billion) awarded.
This award concludes phase 6 of the country’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), which was launched in September 2024 (see Saudi Arabia Launches Call For NREP Round 6 With 4.5 GW Capacity).
Abu Dhabi’s Masdar has won 2 projects with a combined 2 GW solar capacity. It will build the 1.4 GW Najran Solar PV IPP Plant in Najran province for 1.09682 cent/kWh (4.11307 Halala/kWh) levelized cost of electricity (LCOE).
Masdar’s other win in this round is the 600 MW Ad Darb Solar PV IPP Plant with an LCOE of 1.36070 cent/kWh (5.10262 Halala/kWh).
Samtah Solar PV IPP Plant, also with 600 MW capacity, will be built by a consortium of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and EDF POWER SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL for an LCOE of 1.48678 cent/kWh (5.57544 Halala/kWh). Both these 600 MW projects will be located in Jazan province.
A consortium comprising Al Jomaih Energy & Water Company (AEW) and TotalEnergies Renewables SAS has won the rights to develop the 400 MW Sufun Solar PV IPP Plant in Hail province with an LCOE of 1.50686 cent/kWh (5.65074 Halala/kWh).
Principal buyer of electricity in the country, SPPC, says the sole wind energy project in this round with 1.5 GW capacity – Dawadmi Wind IPP Plant – in Riyadh province has set a new world record for the lowest LCOE of wind power generation with 1.33803 cent/kWh (5.01760 Halala/kWh). It will be built by a consortium of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Nesma Renewable Energy Company Ltd., and Etihad Water and Electricity Company PJSC (EtihadWE).
SPPC says it will have tendered 64 GW of renewable energy generation capacity by the end of 2025. Once it enters power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the winners of round 6, the total signed renewable energy capacity will be 43.2 GW, out of which 12.3 GW is already connected to the grid.
SPPC recently launched NREP round 7 for 5.3 GW of renewable energy capacity (see Saudi Arabia Calls For 5.3 GW Solar & Wind Energy Projects).
