Saudi Arabia’s principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), has issued the request for proposals (RFP) for the second phase of its independent battery energy storage system (bess) projects in Saudi Arabia.

The Group 2 programme comprises six independent storage provider (ISP) projects with a total capacity of 3GW, equivalent to 12,000 megawatt-hours based on a four-hour storage duration.

According to a source, the RFP was issued earlier in July and developers have since submitted a first round of clarification requests to SPPC as they prepare their bids.

Developers have until October to submit proposals, the source said.

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)

On 1 July, MEED reported that up to 27 firms had prequalified to participate in the second phase. SPPC previously received statements of qualification on 13 May.

It is understood that Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Masdar, UAE), Acwa (Saudi Arabia), EDF (France), Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea), International Power (Engie, France) and Marubeni Corporation (Japan) are among the companies likely to make offers for the contracts.

Winning bidders will hold 100% equity in a special purpose vehicle (SPV), with each SPV entering into a storage services agreement with SPPC as part of the independent storage provider structure.

The programme forms part of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) and supports the kingdom’s target of generating about 50% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. The projects will be developed under a build-own-operate model.

US/India-based Synergy Consulting is advising SPPC on the energy storage Group 1 and Group 2 programme.

Contracts are expected to be awarded for Group 1 Bess projects in the coming months, with both Acwa and Engie understood to be frontrunners for these contracts.

Separately, SPPC has extended the deadline for developers bidding for four solar projects under round seven of the NREP, led and supervised by the Ministry of Energy.

The deadline for the four solar photovoltaic independent power producer (IPP) projects with a combined capacity of 3,100MW has been extended to 30 August.

The deadline for the two wind IPPs with a combined capacity of 2,200MW has been extended to 14 September.