250 MW solar and storage in Saudi Arabia: Luxury wellness destination AMAALA, located along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, will be powered by a fully optimized and decarbonized off-grid renewable energy system. This will comprise a 250 MW solar park, a 700 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), transmission and distribution lines, and a desalination plant with a capacity of 37 million liters of drinking water/day. These, along with wastewater desalination plants, are part of this multi-utilities infrastructure facility that the consortium of EDF Group, Masdar, Korea East-West Power (EWP), and SUEZ will build. The consortium has achieved financial close for the planned facility that is expected to cost around $1.5 billion. The financial close was achieved with local and global financial institutions namely First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Emirates NBD, Riyad Bank, Saudi National Bank (SNB), and Alinma Bank. Set to open in 2025, AMAALA is developed by the Red Sea Global.
“We are proud to bring our technical expertise as well as our strong environmental and social commitment to this unique large scale off-grid system that will deliver sufficient carbon-free electricity to power 65,000 individuals, as well as uninterrupted water access 24/7,” said EDF Group Vice-President, International Division, and Chairwoman and CEO of EDF Renewables, Beatrice Buffon. “This project mixing renewable energies, energy storage, transmission, and a desalination plant, sets new standards for the EDF Group and should be replicable in other geographies.”
EWEC tender attracts 3 bids: The Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has secured 3 proposals for its 1.5 GW Al Khazna Solar PV Plant tender in Abu Dhabi. The 3 bidders are France’s Engie; a consortium comprising EDF Renewables and Korea Western Power (KOWEPO); and another consortium of Jinko Power and JERA. These 3 bidders made it to the list out of 19 qualifying entities shortlisted from 27 responses to the expressions of interest (EOI) EWEC received. The agency will determine the winner after undergoing a detailed technical and commercial evaluation process of the 3 bids. The winner will sign a power purchase agreement by Q2 2025.
Sungrow in Sharjah: Chinese solar energy company Sungrow will supply its solar PV inverters for a 60 MW solar power plant, the largest solar power plant in Sharjah. The project is being developed by a Masdar and EDF joint venture (JV), called Emerge, which has now contracted Al Mustakbal Clean Tech as the EPC contractor. It is to be constructed at the Sajaa Gas Complex of Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) to power the complex’s operations. During the day, excess power will be exported to the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) which in return will supply electricity for SNOC’s operations at night, according to Sungrow.
100 kW mini-grid in Nigeria: The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in Nigeria has announced the commissioning of a 100 kW solar hybrid mini-grid in Uhuafor Nomeh village in the Enugu state. This will serve more than 3,000 members of the community. The project is financed by the Nigerian government’s Rural Electrification Fund (REF). REA said through the ongoing 2nd call under REF, a total of 51 mini-grids will be constructed to serve unserved and underserved communities across the country.
AfDB backs Zambia PV project: The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved an $8 million concessional loan to support the construction of the 25 MW Ilute Solar Plant in Zambia. The project is being developed by Serengeti Energy and Western Solar Power in Sesheke District. Electricity generated will be purchased by the GreenCo Power Services under the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). GreenCo will then sell the power generated to the Southern African Power Pool Day-Ahead Market. AfDB said this financing addresses the financial challenges faced by the project due to rising costs associated with COVID-19 and other challenges.
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