Qualified bidders were announced in January 2025, revealing that 33 bidders had applied, including big names such as Masdar, ACWA Power, EDF, and TotalEnergies. The qualification process, open to bidders with experience in renewable energy and/or battery storage, and with a tangible net worth of US$100 million or more for managing entities and US$50 million or more for technical partners, launched in November 2024.
At that time, SPPC said the BESS procurement programme was aligned with the Saudi Vision 2030 national policy to source 50% of the country’s electricity from renewable energy by the end of this decade.
Energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, who is also SPPC’s board chairman and additionally the Minister of Industrial and Mineral Resources, was in attendance as the contracts, worth more than SAR4.35 billion (~US$1.16 billion), were signed at a ceremony in Riyadh.
Three of the agreements were signed with a consortium comprising generation, transmission and distribution entity Saudi Energy, with Saudi-headquartered independent power producer (IPP) ACWA Power and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider Al Sharif Contracting and Commercial Development Company.
