Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), has launched the qualification process for a second group of battery energy storage system (bess) projects with a combined power capacity of 3GW.

The programme comprises six independent storage provider (ISP) projects with a total capacity of 3GW, equivalent to 12,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) based on a four-hour storage duration.

Each project will be developed under a build-own-operate (BOO) model, with winning bidders holding 100% equity in a special purpose vehicle (SPV), SPPC said.

Each SPV will enter into a storage services agreement with SPPC as part of the independent storage provider structure.

The six bess projects include:

• Samha bess ISP: 500MW (Qassim)
• Al-Leeth bess ISP: 500MW (Mecca)
• Al-Henakiyah bess ISP: 500MW (Medina)
• Khulis bess ISP: 500MW (Mecca)
• Sadawi bess ISP: 500MW (Eastern Province)
• Ashyrah bess ISP: 500MW (Mecca)

SPPC added that the qualification process also covers future renewable energy and storage projects. These include solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind schemes expected to be tendered at a later stage.

MEED previously reported that SPPC had invited prequalified firms to bid for the contracts for the first phase of its independent bess projects in Saudi Arabia.

The group one bess – or ISP – projects will be developed using a BOO model.

They comprise the following schemes with a total combined capacity of 2,000MW, which equates to about four hours or 8,000MWh of storage:

• Al-Muwyah bess ISP: 500MW (Mecca)
• Haden bess ISP: 500MW (Mecca)
• Al-Khushaybi bess ISP: 500MW (Qassim)
• Al-Kahafa bess ISP: 500MW (Hail)

US/India-based Synergy Consulting is advising SPPC on the energy storage capacity procurement programme.

Separately, developers are currently preparing bids for the seventh round of the National Renewable Energy Programme, which was tendered in January and will add 5,300MW of capacity.

The round includes four solar projects – Tabarjal 2 (1,400MW), Mawqqaq (600MW), Tathleeth (600MW) and South Al-Ula (500MW) – and two wind schemes: Bilgah (1,300MW) and Shagran (900MW).

Bids for the Bilgah and Shagra wind projects are due by 14 May, while the submission deadline for the remaining projects is 30 April.