Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) today announced four solar projects in Saudi Arabia, comprising 3.7 GW, had been given RFQ status as part of the fifth round of the Saudi Arabian government's National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).

According to the press release, the plants include the 2 GW Al Sadawi plant located in the country’s east and the 1 GW (AC) Al Masa’a project located in the northern Hail province. It also includes the 400 MW (AC) Al Henakiyah 2 plant located in the western Madinah province and the 300 MW (AC) Rabigh 2 array located in the western Makkah province.

Projects will be overseen by SPPC – the government-owned entity tasked with procuring electricity from independent power producers – which will be responsible for the predevelopment, tendering and subsequent “offtaking” of energy, SPPC said in the announcement.

The projects comprise one-quarter of all energy capacity (12.6 GW) awarded as part of the NREP renewable energy program. NREP, according to its website, is designed to “maximize” the country’s renewable energy potential.

The Saudi Arabian government aims to generate 27.5 GW of renewable energy by 2030, the country's leading solar lobby group said. This is a significant leap ahead of the nation's current installed capacity, which was estimated at 390 MW at the end of last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Association.