Saudi Arabia Seeks RFQs for New 5,300 MW Round-7 Renewable Energy Projects

Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), the Principal Buyer, has released a request for qualification (RFQ) for the seventh round of solar and wind projects under the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), which is led and supervised by the Ministry of Energy. The projects, comprising both solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind independent power producers (IPPs), have a combined capacity of 5,300 MW.

The Round 7 projects include four solar PV IPPs and two wind IPPs, distributed across various regions in Saudi Arabia. The specifics are:

• Solar PV IPPs:
  • Tabarjal 2 Solar PV IPP (Al-Jouf Region): 1,400 MW
  • Mawqaq Solar PV IPP (Hail Region): 600 MW
  • Tathleeth Solar PV IPP (Aseer Region): 600 MW
  • South Al Ula Solar PV IPP (Madinah Region): 500 MW
• Wind IPPs:
  • Bilghah Wind IPP (Madinah Region): 1,300 MW
  • Shagran Wind IPP (Madinah Region): 900 MW

Led by the Ministry of Energy, the NREP aims to leverage Saudi Arabia’s abundant renewable resources to achieve an optimal energy mix. A key objective is to displace high-value liquid fuels (e.g., oil) from the power generation sector, supporting the country’s energy transition and sustainability goals under Vision 2030. The SPPC is responsible for preparing feasibility studies, tendering electricity generation projects, and signing power purchase agreements with developer consortia. To date, the Principal Buyer has launched renewable electricity generation projects with a total capacity of over 43 GW. Of these, power purchase agreements have been signed for projects with a total capacity of over 38 GW.