Saudi Arabia issues Request for Proposal for Round Three Category B solar PV projects

The Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia has issued the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Round Three Category B Solar PV independent power producer (IPP) of the Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP). The RFP for Round Three Category A projects will be released to the market later this month.

Round Three is comprised of four Solar PV projects with a combined generation capacity of 1,200 megawatts (MW). The projects are located on four sites in the central region of the Kingdom. Category A projects include 120 MW Wadi Ad Dawasir and 80 MW Layla solar farm. Category B projects include 700 MW Ar Rass and 300 MW Saad solar park.

The tendering methodology for Round Three will continue the strategy established by the Ministry of Energy in Round Two of the NREP, whereby smaller projects labeled as Category A, will have relaxed qualification criteria allowing for local developers to participate in the NREP as lead members. The two larger projects labeled Category B is targeted towards attracting international developers to further invest in the Kingdom.

The Ministry of Energy issued the Request for Qualifications(RFQ) for Round Three of the NREP on the 9th of January 2020 and has received on the 6th of February 2020 a total of 83 applications of which, a total of 49 companies have been pre-qualified for lead roles, including 28 local Saudi companies. Pre-qualified companies will now proceed to the RFP stage as either a Managing Member and/or Technical Member and/or Local Managing Member (the latter only applying to Round Three Category A projects).