Kingdom issues global tender for 2 solar plants

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) is inviting bids from international developers to build two solar-power plants in the Kingdom’s northern region, SEC announced on its website. The plants will each generate as much as 50 megawatts using photo-voltaic technology, which produces power directly for solar cells, according to a tender announcement that Saudi Electricity Co. posted on its website. The utility is asking international companies to submit expressions of interest for the projects by June 20. The plants will be located at Al-Jouf and Rafha, SEC said. The tender is the first by Saudi Arabia to seek international partners to cooperate in building and operating renewable-energy facilities, according to the Middle East Solar Industry Association. Saudi Arabia is developing renewable energy to take advantage of its ample sunlight and to diversify energy supply amid rising demand. Yet renewable resources will only account for about 10 percent of total power capacity compared with the previous target of about 50 percent, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said last week during a presentation of the Kingdom’s long-term strategy to overhaul the economy. HSBC Holdings Plc’s Saudi unit is acting as financial consultant for the tender, DLA Piper is legal adviser, and DNV GL is technical consultant, Saudi Electricity said.