The Saudi Power Procurement Company (Principal Buyer) has commenced the qualification process for the second group of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects, consisting of a total of six projects.

The process is being carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy, said a Saudi Press Agency report. 

Each project will be developed under a build-own-operate (BOO) model, with the winning consortium holding 100% 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.

The combined capacity of Group 2 BESS projects is 3000 MW, for a 4-hour storage duration (12,000 MWh), comprising of the following projects:

* 500MW / 2000MWh Samha BESS ISP, Site Location: Qassim Region.

* 500MW / 2000MWh Al-Leeth BESS ISP, Site location: Makkah Region.

* 500MW / 2000MWh Al-Henakiyah BESS ISP, Site location: Madinah Region.

*  500MW / 2000MWh Khulis BESS ISP, Site location: Makkah Region.

* 500MW / 2000MWh Sadawi BESS ISP, Site location: Eastern Region.

* 500MW / 2000MWh Ashyrah BESS ISP, Site location: Makkah Region.

As part of the current qualification process for energy storage projects, the Saudi Power Procurement Company has opened qualification for solar PV, wind, and future energy storage projects to be tendered at a later stage.

The National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) aims to increase the share of installed capacities from renewable energy sources and energy storage systems in the energy mix to reach around 50% by 2030, subject to electricity demand growth. For more information about BESS projects in the Kingdom, visit https://powersaudiarabia.com.sa