Acwa Power Inks Power Purchase Agreement for 700 Mw Ar Rass Solar Pv Project in Saudi Arabia

by with No Comment News

ACWA Power, a leading developer, investor and operator of power generation, desalinated water and green hydrogen plants, and the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), the principal buyer, signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) to develop the 700 MW Ar Rass solar photovoltaic independent power plant (IPP) in Saudi Arabia’s Al Qassim province. The agreement was signed in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia.

Under the terms of the agreement, ACWA Power will sell energy produced by the project to SPPC for a period of 25 years. Valued at US$450 million (SAR 1.7billion), Ar Rass is the largest PV project that has been tendered as part of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) to date, for which ACWA Power has been earmarked to deliver 70% of the total 58.7 GW target.

ACWA Power will hold a (40.1%) stake in the facility, along with (20%) by the Water and Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), a wholly owned PIF Portfolio Company, and (39.9%) will be owned by the State Power Investment Corporation from China. When fully functional, the project will produce energy to power around 132,000 homes in central Saudi Arabia.

During the signing ceremony, the Minister of Energy announced that the energy sector aims to launch several renewable energy projects to produce approximately 15,000 megawatts of clean energy between the years 2022 and 2023, with the aim of diversifying the energy mix and achieving its designated targets.

His Royal Highness praised the relentless support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for his leadership and guidance in all areas that ensure the prosperity of the Kingdom and its citizens. His Royal Highness also expressed his gratitude for the support of His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, for his crucial role in empowering the energy sector, bolstered by his directives that drove the Kingdom to new heights. He emphasized that these newly introduced projects translate the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 into tangible outcomes, which ultimately contribute to reaching the Kingdom’s optimal energy mix and its shift from consuming liquid fuels in electricity production to gas and renewable energy.

The Ar Rass IPP is expected to reach financial close in Q4 2022.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ACWA Power currently operates Sakaka, a 300MW solar facility, and is also working on constructing Sudair, a 1500 MW independent solar PV project with Saudi Aramco and the Water and Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), a wholly owned PIF Portfolio Company, which is considered the largest of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and one of the largest solar energy projects in the world.

Source: ACWA Power

ACWA POWER SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR 100MW UZBEKISTAN WIND POWER PROJECT

by with No Comment News

ACWA Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor and operator of power generation, desalinated water and green hydrogen plants worldwide, announced it has finalised the project agreements for the 100MW Nukus wind project in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Valued at US$108 million, the Nukus wind farm is located in the Karakalpakstan region, in North-western Uzbekistan. This project is Uzbekistan’s first publicly tendered wind project. ACWA Power won the competitive bid after proposing a tariff of US 2.5695 cents/kwh.

ACWA Power Wind Karatau FE LLC signed the 25- year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with JSC National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan (NEGU), and ACWA Power Wind Karatau FE LLC and ACWA Power signed the Government Support Agreement (GSA) with the Government of Uzbekistan represented by the Ministry of Finance. Representatives from the Public-Private Partnership Development Agency under the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) were also presented during the signing ceremony.“

Alisher Sultanov, Uzbekistan Minister of Energy said :We welcome this agreement as a further indication of ACWA Power’s commitment to Uzbekistan’s energy future. It is also a validation of the open and transparent bidding process we have put in place, with 12 well-qualified international bidders competing. We look forward to working with ACWA on this and its other exciting projects in our country.

The Nukus wind farm is ACWA Power’s fourth project in Uzbekistan, after the US$1.2 billion Sirdarya project, which is a 1500MW Combined Cycle Gas-Turbine (CCGT) power plant, the 500 MW Bash facility and the US$1.3 billion Djankedly wind power project in Bukhara.

The project seeks to bolster the Uzbekistan government’s efforts to diversify the country’s energy mix and increase its renewable energy capacity in line with recent strategic reforms. The country’s Ministry of Energy is targeting an 8GW capacity for solar and wind energy by 2026.

The Nukus wind farm’s financial close is expected to be finalised by the third quarter of 2022, with commercial operations scheduled for early 2024.

Source: ACWA power