Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich state, is breaking with tradition and has requested submission of qualifications for the country's first utility scale wind project, the country's Renewable Energy Project Development Office said Sunday.
Saudi Arabia asked that qualified companies submit their qualifications for the construction of a 400-megawatt (MW) wind power in Dumat Al Jandal, in the Al Jouf region of north Saudi Arabia.
The office said that submission of qualifications for the Dumat Al Jandal project would close on August 10.
The process is expected to finish in January 2018.
Saudi Arabia targets 9.5 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2023 in support of its 2030 vision to seek $30-50 billion in renewable energy investment.
Dumat Al Jandal's 400 MW capacity wind project and a 300 MW solar PV plant at Sakaka are part of the first round of Saudi Arabia's renewable energy plan.
The announcement of the winning bid for the Sakaka solar plant will be made in November.
鈥淭he National Renewable Energy Program is a long, and systematic path to energy and economic diversification for Saudi Arabia, and a cornerstone of the Ministry鈥檚 contribution to Vision 2030," according to Khalid Al-Falih, minister of energy, industry and mineral resources.
Falih said that Saudi Arabia is committed to ensuring its ambitious program remains on track to deliver the value and opportunities targeted by the program.
Twenty-four companies qualified for the wind energy tender in April, while 27 international firms qualified for Saudi Arabia's first tender for 300 megawatts of solar energy
The projects will be backed by 25-year power purchase agreements for solar PV and a 20-year agreement for wind. Both sites have undergone full pre-development work, and site assessments will be made available to pre-qualified bidders upon request at the proposal stage, according to the statement.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
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