Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), has extended the bid deadline for the contract to develop a wind independent power project (IPP) under the sixth round of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP).  In March  the prequalified developers had formed consortiums and are preparing their proposals for the contract, the fifth wind IPP to be tendered under the NREP. SPPC initially expected to receive bids by 15 May, but the deadline has since been extended to 23 June. The new deadline, however, is likely to be extended again. The teams that have been formed and will likely bid for the contract include teams separately led by the UAE's Masdar and France's Engie and EDF Renewables.  Beijing-based PowerChina and one of its subsidiaries are part of separate bidding consortiums. Located in Riyadh, the Dawadmi wind IPP will have a capacity of 1,500MW. It is the only wind and the fifth package under the NREP round six. Four solar photovoltaic schemes, with a total combined capacity of 3,000MW, comprise the rest of the round-six projects. In addition to the firms cited above, SPPC prequalified the following companies that can bid as managing and technical members of consortiums bidding for the contract. These are: Marubeni Corporation (Japan) Sembcorp Utilities (Singapore) Sumitomo Corporation (Japan) Total Energies Renewables (France) Goldwind Science & Technology (China) Alfanar Company SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development The following eight companies were prequalified to bid as managing members: Al-Jomaih Energy & Water (local) Jinko Power (Hong Kong) Saudi Electricity Company (local) China Power Engineering Consulting Group International Engineering Company (China) Posco International Corporation (South Korea) Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea) Nareva Holding (Morocco) Jera (Japan) Another firm, the local Nesma Renewable Company, has been prequalified as a technical member. In addition to the Dawadmi wind IPP, the following schemes comprise round six of the NREP: 1,400MW Najran solar photovoltaic (PV) IPP (Najran) 600MW Samtah solar PV IPP (Jizan) 600MW Al-Darb solar PV IPP (Jizan) 400MW Al-Sufun solar PV IPP (Hail) These schemes take the total capacity of publicly tendered solar and wind projects by SPPC to close to 15,000MW. SPPC is responsible for the pre-development, tendering and subsequent offtaking of the energy from the projects. US/India-based Synergy Consulting is providing financial advisory services to SPPC for the NREP sixth-round tender. Germany’s Fichtner Consulting and US-headquartered CMS are providing technical and legal consultancy services, respectively. The previous wind farms that SPPC has tendered include the 400MW Dumat Al-Jandal wind IPP, which is operational. Last year, SPPC signed the power-purchase agreements with Japan’s Marubeni Corporation for the contracts to develop and operate the 600MW Al-Ghat and 500MW Waad Al-Shamal wind IPPs. The projects reached financial close in November. The third wind IPP, a 750MW scheme in Yanbu, is undergoing review. (ICE RIYADH)

Fonte notizia: Meed