Saudi Arabia starts RFQ process for 400-MW wind project

Saudi Arabia has issued a request for qualification (RFQ) regarding a 400-MW wind project in Dumat Al Jandal, the Al Jouf region, that would be the Kingdom’s first utility-scale wind farm.

The RFQ was opened on Sunday by the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources. The RFQ window will close on August 10 and the qualified companies will then proceed to the request for proposals (RFP) stage. That process is scheduled to start on August 29 and close in January 2018.

The Dumat Al Jandal wind project is part of round one of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), the other part being the 300-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) scheme in Sakaka for which an initial tender was issued on April 17, 2017. The winning bid for the solar project will be announced in November 2017.

“The release of Dumat Al Jandal’s wind project RFQ, and upcoming RFP next month, ensures that we remain on course to tender 700 MW in round one this year,” said Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources. NREP seeks to have 3.45 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2020 and a total of 9.5 GW by 2023.

The wind and solar projects will secure 20-year and 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs), respectively.

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