Kingdom pre-selects ACWA, First Solar, Marubeni, Masdar and others for projects ranging from 20MW to 600MW, with ultra-low prices heralding new PV boost in Middle Eastern kingdom.
Middle Eastern kingdom launches third round of renewable programme to find developers for four solar plants, adding to the six PV projects yet to be awarded under the second round.
A consortium of Saudi-based developer ACWA Power and contractor AlGihaz have closed financing of the SAR1.2 billion (US$319 million) Sakaka solar project standing at 300MW in Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia, a project that attracted headlines across the world last year after the government chose ACWA Power despite Masdar putting in the lowest ever solar bid.
Saudi’s initial solar bids for the 300MW Sakaka project slipped below two US cents per kWh, but the lowest bid was rejected. We take a look at a claim that its championing of bifacial technology was the root cause.
Saudi Arabia plans to tender seven solar projects with a combined capacity of 3.3GW during 2018, according to a statement from Turki Al Shehri, head of the country's Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO), confirming news from Bloomberg earlier this week.
Saudi Arabia’s omittance of the lowest ever solar bid from the final shortlist of its 300MW solar tender may have been a measure to restore investor confidence in the future of the market, according to a representative of global analyst firm GTM Research.
UPDATED: Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) has shortlisted local firm Acwa Power and a consortium led by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation to develop 300MW of solar PV in Sakaka, Al Jouf.
