Riyadh: The Saudi Power Procurement Company, known as the 'Principal Buyer,' under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy, has officially launched the qualification process for the second group of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects, which encompasses six distinct projects.
According to Saudi Press Agency, each project will be executed under a build-own-operate (BOO) model. The consortium that secures the contract will hold 100% equity in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) established to develop and manage the Independent Storage Provider (ISP) project. This setup will involve each SPV entering into a Storage Services Agreement with the Principal Buyer.
The total capacity of the Group 2 BESS projects is set at 3000 MW, with a four-hour storage duration amounting to 12,000 MWh. The projects include the 500MW / 2000MWh Samha BESS ISP in the Qassim Region, 500MW / 2000MWh Al-Leeth BESS ISP in the Makkah Region, 500MW / 2000MWh Al-Henakiyah BESS ISP in the Madinah Region, 500MW / 2000MWh Khulis BESS ISP in the Makkah Region, 500MW / 2000MWh Sadawi BESS ISP in the Eastern Region, and the 500MW / 2000MWh Ashyrah BESS ISP, also located in the Makkah Region.
As part of the ongoing qualification process, the Principal Buyer has also opened the qualification for solar PV, wind, and future energy storage projects, which are expected to be tendered in subsequent phases. This initiative aligns with the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), which aims to boost the share of installed capacities from renewable and energy storage sources in the energy mix to approximately 50% by 2030, contingent on the growth of electricity demand. For more details on BESS projects in the Kingdom, interested parties are encouraged to visit https://powersaudiarabia.com.sa.