Saudi Arabia’s largest solar farm, one of the world’s largest PV plants by capacity, will power 185,000 homes.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 19 April 2021 - DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has acted as technical consultant to Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) during the development of the Sudair 1.5 GW solar PV project. DNV supported SPPC for over two years with a scope of work which included preparation of project protocol documents, setting the technical conditions of the project, such as project grid interconnection requirements, technical aspects of the PPA and the transmission connection agreement. Furthermore, DNV assisted SPPC in the negotiations leading to the execution of the PPA.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is blessed with significant natural resources and is aiming for 50% of its energy to come from renewables by 2030. This solar farm is considered to be a flagship project within Saudi Arabia and an important step towards realizing the country’s energy transition plans.
Santiago Blanco, Vice President and Area Manager, Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America of Energy Systems at DNV said: “We are delighted to have supported Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) in obtaining PPA signoff on the impressive 1.5 GW Sudair Solar PV project. This will be among the largest PV plants in the world and the biggest within Saudi Arabia, which highlights the visionary energy transition plans the country has. Supporting such a project aligns with the values we have within DNV of enabling the energy transition globally.”
The Sudair 1.5 GW Solar PV project is sponsored by a consortium led by ACWA Power and backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund (PIF). The consortium has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with SPPC and has made an investment of SAR 3.4 billion ($907 million) in the 1.5 GW solar park.
The first phase of the project is expected to begin producing electricity during the second half of 2022 and when fully operational, the Sudair Solar PV project is set to become one of the world’s largest solar PV plants by capacity.
Located in Sudair Industrial City, the plant will meet the energy needs of 185,000 homes and reduce carbon emissions by about 2.9 million tons annually.