The morning sun shines on the desert of Madinah region in Saudi Arabia, with rolling wind turbine blades slowly rotating and photovoltaic panel arrays shining among the sand dunes - this is no longer a distant imagination, but an energy landscape that is about to come true. Recently, the Saudi Ministry of Energy officially announced the list of qualified bidders for the seventh round of the National Renewable Energy Procurement Program (NREP) wind and photovoltaic projects. A clean energy project with a total scale of up to 5.3GW is about to land, and a green revolution driven by global capital and technology is quietly unfolding in this traditional energy hinterland.

Bidding is a must-have for the military

This round of bidding is supervised by the Saudi Ministry of Energy, and the specific executing party is the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), responsible for the entire process from feasibility study, competitive bidding to the final signing of the power purchase agreement. The project is widely distributed, covering multiple regions such as Madinah, Tabarjal, and Tathleeth, fully reflecting Saudi Arabia's firm determination to reduce dependence on liquid fuels and promote energy diversification.

In the field of wind power, two heavyweight projects with a total installed capacity of 2.2GW are located in the Madinah region - Bilghah Wind Farm (1300MW) and Shagran Wind Farm (900MW). The list of qualified bidders can be regarded as a "global list of new energy giants", including Masdar from the United Arab Emirates, EDF and Engie from France, Marubeni from Japan, Sembcorp from Singapore, TotalEnergies Renewables from the United States, and others. Among Chinese enterprises, wind power giant Goldwind Technology and engineering leader China Electric Power Construction are also among them.

The competition for photovoltaic projects is also fierce, with a total capacity of about 3.1GW, covering multiple projects such as Tabarjal II (1400MW) and Mawqaq (600MW). In addition to Masdar, Korea Electric Power Company, and other shortlisted companies, Chinese photovoltaic leader Jinko Solar has also successfully entered the list, highlighting the strong confidence of global capital in the prospects of the Saudi photovoltaic market.

Chinese companies are strongly shortlisted

In this bidding process, the performance of Chinese enterprises is particularly noteworthy. Goldwind Technology, with its leading strength in wind power equipment and solutions, participated in the bidding for large-scale wind power projects in Saudi Arabia; China Power Construction provides construction support for projects with rich international engineering experience; As a global photovoltaic module supplier, Jinko Solar's technological advantages have become the finishing touch in bidding for Saudi Arabia. The participation of these enterprises not only reflects the international competitiveness of China's new energy industry chain, but also provides solid support for Saudi Arabia to achieve its renewable energy goals in the "2030 Vision".

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has regarded the development of clean energy as a national strategic priority and plans to increase the proportion of renewable energy generation to 50% by 2030. The technological accumulation and cost control capabilities of Chinese enterprises in fields such as photovoltaics and wind power are highly aligned with Saudi Arabia's energy transformation needs. This nomination further consolidates the influence of Chinese enterprises in the Middle East new energy market and opens up broader space for future cooperation.

5.3GW project landing

The seventh round of NREP bidding is not only a milestone in Saudi Arabia's renewable energy development, but also a crucial step in its energy system's transition towards cleanliness, diversity, and resilience. The large-scale promotion of wind and photovoltaic projects will significantly optimize the country's power structure, reduce carbon emissions, create employment opportunities for the local area, and drive the development of related industries.

Saudi Electricity Procurement Company stated that these projects will strictly follow international bidding standards to ensure transparency and fairness. After the project is fully put into operation, it can reduce a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions every year, helping Saudi Arabia cope with climate change and achieve sustainable development goals.

The rising wind farms and photovoltaic parks from the vast desert will become new symbols of Saudi Arabia's economic transformation. With the gradual implementation of the seventh round of bidding projects, Saudi Arabia has not only taken solid steps on the path of energy independence, but also injected new momentum into the global development of renewable energy. The deep integration of international and local enterprises, as well as the synergy of capital and technology, are collectively painting a more resilient and sustainable energy future picture.Editor/Yang Meiling