Saudi Arabia unveils plans for 2.6-GW solar complex in Mecca

Saudi Arabia will this year launch a tender for the construction of a 600-MW solar park in Mecca that will be part of a larger complex totalling 2,600 MW.

Plans for the ambitious project were announced by Saudi Arabia’s government during the weekend when a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the scheme was signed between the energy ministry and the Makkah Region Development Authority. The scheme itself, called the Al Faisaliah Solar Project, will be implemented in phases in response to rising demand for electricity and clean power as the population of the Saudi city grows.

The public tender for the 600-MW portion will be held by Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Projects Development Office in 2019, the government said without providing a specific timeframe. The remaining 2,000 MW will be developed by the Public Investment Fund and its selected partners directly, according to the statement.

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