The construction of a 300MW utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant is set to begin, following the project’s financial close with Nesma Company. The plant will be developed by Masdar and its consortium with EDF Renewables and is scheduled to begin operations in 2022.

According to a statement, the Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy awarded the project to the consortium as a result of its cost-competitive bid of $16.24 per megawatt hour.

It also signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) this January. As per the PPA, the consortium will design, finance, build and operate the plant, which will take shape in Third Jeddah Industrial City, 50km south-east of Jeddah.

CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said the project demonstrated Masdar’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives and its climate goals. He stated, “Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Programme is fast developing into a global renewable energy player, and Masdar will continue to work closely with the Saudi government and our partners here to help the kingdom achieve its clean energy transition, while reducing environmental impacts in line with the Saudi Green Initiative.”

EDF Group senior executive VP (Renewable Energies) Bruno Bensasson added, “We would like to thank Saudi Arabia’s authorities for the official award of the 300 MW-Jeddah project. We are delighted to pursue our commitment to contribute to the energy transition of the Middle East with this new solar plant project alongside our partners Masdar and Nesma. After the 400MW Dumat al Jandal wind power farm currently under construction in the North of the Kingdom, this solar project highlights our strong commitment to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s goal to produce 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.”

He continued, “It demonstrates our ability to jointly provide highly competitive bids. These large-scale renewables installations are perfectly in line with the EDF Group’s CAP 2030 strategy, which aims at doubling its renewable energy net capacity in operation worldwide, between 2015 and 2030, from 28 to 60GW net.”

Nesma president Faisal Al Turki commented, “Masdar, EDF Renewables and Nesma will continue to innovate and optimise solar power projects; the Jeddah project is an excellent example of how the consortium is leveraging international, regional and local expertise to great effect. The Jeddah solar plant will utilise the latest technology in the PV market, combining bifacial PV modules with mounting structures that utilise single-axis tracking technology to maximise energy generation by following the sun’s position throughout the day. State-of-the-art robots will also be used to clean the modules.”