The Saudi Power Procurement Company, acting as the Principal Buyer under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy, has prequalified 27 top developers – including EDF, Kepco and Marubeni as well as regional heavyweights Masdar and Acwa – for its second group of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects. These comprise six Independent Storage Provider (ISP) projects with a total capacity of 12,000 MWh across six locations in the kingdom. 

Each project, with a capacity of 500 MW/2,000 MWh,  will be developed under a build-own-operate (BOO) model, with the winning consortium holding 100 per cent equity in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to develop and operate the Independent Storage Provider (ISP) project.

Each SPV will enter into a Storage Services Agreement with the Principal Buyer.  

Saudi Power Procurement Company said the combined capacity of Group 2 BESS projects is 3000 MW, for a four-hour storage duration (12,000 MWh) and will be covering key regions of the kingdom including Qassim, Makkah, Madinah and Eastern Province.