Saudi Power Procurement Company has qualified 13 Saudi and international companies to compete in the third round of conventional independent power projects using combined-cycle gas-turbine technology.
The qualified field comprises TAQA, ACWA Power, Al Bawani Capital, Al Jomaih Energy and Water, EDF, Etihad Development Company, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Mitsubishi Power, Nesma Renewable Energy, Marafiq, PowerChina, Saudi Energy and Sumitomo Corporation.
The projects are to be developed under a build-own-operate structure. Successful consortia will establish special-purpose companies, arrange financing, procure and build the generating assets, operate the plants and sell electricity to SPPC under long-term power-purchase agreements.
The programme also requires readiness for future carbon-capture units. The individual plant locations, capacities, investment value, request-for-proposals timetable and bid deadline have not yet been disclosed.
Prequalification creates a defined competitive field for the next procurement stage. The programme will be relevant to project-finance banks, EPC contractors, turbine manufacturers, grid and substation suppliers, carbon-management specialists and operations-and-maintenance providers.
Image: Illustrative combined-cycle gas-fired power plant. Photo by Peoplepoweredbyenergy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Saudi Power Procurement Company; Saudi Press Agency; Saudi Gulf Projects.