Prequalified developers are forming teams to bid for the contracts to develop solar farms under the sixth round of Saudi Arabia's National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP). Bids are due for the four solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power projects (IPPs) by 1 June. The four solar IPPs have a combined capacity of 3,000MW. A 1,400MW solar PV IPP will be located in Najran, while the smallest – the 400MW Al-Sufun solar IPP – will be in Hail. The 600MW Samtah and 600MW Al-Darb solar IPPs will be located in Jizan, a region that has been placed under security-related travel alerts by some countries and international firms. Most of the prequalified bidders participated in site visits, which Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), conducted in late January. SPPC prequalified 16 companies that can bid as managing and technical members for the solar PV contracts Round six of the NREP will have a total combined capacity of 4,500MW, including the 1,500MW Dawadmi wind farm, for which a separate set of bidders has been prequalified. SPPC issued the prequalification request for round six of the NREP in September last year and received statements of qualifications from interested developers and developer consortiums the following month. SPPC is responsible for the pre-development, tendering and subsequent offtaking of the energy from the projects. US/India-based Synergy Consulting is the client's financial adviser for the NREP sixth-round tender. Germany’s Fichtner Consulting and US-headquartered CMS are the technical and legal consultants, respectively. (ICE RIYADH)

Fonte notizia: Meed