Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), under the Ministry of Energy, has prequalified a total of 33 local, regional and international companies for the First Group of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects, or G1 BESS Projects, with a total energy storage capacity of 8 gigawatt-hours (GWh).

SPPC had initiated the qualification process in November 2024 for four battery-based Independent Storage Provider (ISP) projects with a combined power capacity of 2,000 MW and storage duration of four hours.

The projects are:

  • The 500MW/4Hrs Al-Muwyah BESS ISP in Makkah province.
  • The 500MW/4Hrs Haden BESS ISP in Makkah province.
  • The 500MW/4Hrs Al-Khushaybi BESS ISP in Qassim province.
  • The 500MW/4Hrs Al-Kahafa BESS ISP in Hail province.

The list was released on Monday, 30 December 2024. A total of 21 companies were prequalified in the ‘managing and technical bidder’ category as follows:

1.    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), UAE

2.    Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), UAE

3.    ACWA Power, Saudi Arabia

4.    Akaysha Energy, Australia

5.    China Energy Overseas Investment Company (CEECOIC), China

6.    China Power Engineering Consulting Group International Engineering Co, China.

7.    China Southern Power Grid International (HK) Co. (CSGIHK), China

8.    Cox Energy EPC, Spain

9.    Electricité De France (EDF), France

10. Envision Energy Co, China

11.   FRV-X Renewable, Spain

12. International Power S.A. (IPSA), Belgium

13. JERA Nex, United Kingdom

14. Jinko Power (HK) Co., China

15. Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), South Korea

16. Marubeni Corporation, Japan

17.   Pro -Power Investment, China

18.   Samsung C&T Corporation, South Korea

19.   SPIC Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., China

20.   Total Energies Renewables SAS, France

21. X -ELIO Energy, Spain

12 companies were prequalified in the ‘Managing Only’ category as follows:

1.    Al Gihaz Holding Co., Saudi Arabia

2.    Al Jomaih Energy & Water Co., Saudi Arabia

3.    Alfanar Co., Saudi Arabia

4.    FAS Energy KSA, Saudi Arabia

5.      GCL Intelligent Energy (Suzhou) Co., China

6.      Gulf Energy Development Public Company, Thailand

7.      Nesma Renewable Energy, Saudi Arabia

8.      POSCO International Corp., South Korea

9.      Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA), China

10.   Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), Saudi Arabia

11.   Shell Overseas Investment BV, Netherlands

12.   Sumitomo Corp., Japan

These projects will be developed under Build-Own-Operate (BOO) concessions, with the successful bidder holding 100 per cent equity in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to develop and operate the ISP project.

The SPVs will enter into a 15-year Storage Services Agreement (SSA) with SPPC.

Saudi Arabia is aiming for 48 GWh of storage capacity by 2030.

(Writing by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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