The Saudi Arabia Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) has announced the list of companies that are pre-qualified to bid in round three for a combined solar capacity of 1.2 GW. The project falls under the Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) and has been divided into two categories – Category A and Category B.

The list of pre-qualified applicants includes Abener Energia, S.A., Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Alfanar Company, Almabani General Contractors, Canadian Solar UK Projects Limited, EDF Renouvelables, Electric Power Development Company, EXAP Contracting Company, ib vogt GmbH, Noor Communications Company Limited, Rays Power Infra Private Limited, and Tamasuk Holding Company among others.

The list has been issued for Category A and Category B projects, and a total of 49 companies have pre-qualified to bid in round three of the bidding process.

Earlier, in line with the country’s National Renewable Energy Program, the Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia had issued the request for qualification for four solar projects with a cumulative capacity of 1.2 GW. The round three projects have been divided into two categories:

• Category Awill target smaller companies, which include Layla (80 MW) and Wadi Al Dawaser, with 120 MW of solar projects
• Category Bwill have Saad with 300 MW and Ar Rass with 700 MW of projects

For projects under Category A, the applicant should have the experience as a developer for 15 years and should have developed at least 300 MW of projects globally.

For projects under Category B, the bidders were required to have prior experience of developing a minimum capacity of 500 MW in the last 15 years. Besides this, the developer should have an experience of 15 years as a developer for a minimum capacity of 200 MW of solar projects.

In November last year, ACWA Power, Saudi Arabia’s energy giant, signed a power purchase agreement with the government of Egypt to finance, develop, construct, and operate the 200 MW Kom Ombo solar power project. ACWA Power had secured this project through a tender issued in August 2018. The solar power project is likely to be operational by the first quarter of 2021.

Earlier, with the support of Saudi and international banks, the consortium comprising EDF Renewables and Masdar had completed the financing of the Dumat Al Jandal utility-scale wind project in Saudi Arabia.

Last year, the kingdom floated a tender for seven greenfield solar PV projects with a combined potential capacity of 1.5 GW.