Saudi Arabia is preparing to announce the winning bid for the Al Sadawi solar photovoltaic (PV) Independent Power Project (IPP) in the Eastern Province, with a decision expected within the next few weeks. This project, which will generate 2 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, is part of Saudi Arabia’s expanding renewable energy goals and is expected to be completed by 2027, according to Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.
The Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) previously shortlisted two consortia for the Al Sadawi project. The first consortium, comprising Masdar, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and GD Power Development Company, offered a bid with a levelized cost of 4.84736 Halala per kilowatt-hour (kWh), or roughly 1.29263 U.S. cents per kWh. Competing with them is the second consortium, led by SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development and EDF Renouvelables, which proposed a bid at a levelized cost of 4.92019 Halala per kWh (1.31205 U.S. cents per kWh).
In addition to the Al Sadawi project, SPPC has recently announced a list of consortia shortlisted for the fifth round of the National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) solar projects. The shortlisted consortia for the upcoming projects include:
1. Alfa Solar Consortium – Led by Alfanar Company
2. Green Power Partnership Consortium – Including Marubeni Corporation and TotalEnergies
3. Masdar Consortium– Led by Masdar with EDF Renouvelables
4. NREP Consortium – Comprised of International Company for Water and Power Projects (ACWA Power) and SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development
5. Sungrow Power Consortium– Led by Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd
The Al Sadawi solar project and these new NREP projects represent Saudi Arabia’s ongoing push towards renewable energy development. These efforts are part of the country’s broader vision to increase the share of renewables in its power mix.
