Oman reveals final bidders of 500 MW solar tender
Only three consortia are now competing to build huge solar park: one formed by Masdar, Total and Jinko; another led by Saudi energy company ACWA; and a third group of companies led by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and the Oman Gas Company (OGC). The tender is expected to be finalized early next year.
ACWA receives $320m financing for 300 MW Saudi project
The project, tendered by the Saudi authorities in February, will be built by a new company which is 70% controlled by the energy giant and 30% by contractor AlGihaz Holding. The plant will sell power to the Saudi Power Procurement Company at $0.0236/kWh.
Dubai: Tariff for large-scale PV hits new low at $0.024/kWh
The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) has announced it will expand Phase IV of the 5 GW Mohammed bin Rashid Maktoum Solar Park by another 250 MW. The power utility has also revealed that the PPA with the project developer, local energy giant ACWA Power has been amended, and that the new PV portion of Phase IV, which originally included only a 700 MW CSP power plant planned to sell power at $0.073/kWh, will sell power at a tariff of $0.024/kWh. This price equals that of a 1.17 GW solar project currently under construction in Abu Dhabi.
Price of solar keeps falling in Lebanon
According to a report from the United Nations Development Programme, the turnkey price for solar in the nation declined by around 17.4% between 2016 and 2017 – and by 79% over the last seven years. By the end of last year, cumulative installed Lebanese PV capacity reached 35.4 MW.
Egypt could reach 44 GW of solar by 2030 – IRENA
In its report, Renewable Energy Outlook: Egypt, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) envisages a scenario in which solar becomes the second largest energy source in the country, after gas. If current plans and RE strategies are maintained, however, just 9 GW will be installed by 2030, compared 44 GW. The agency recommends a series of actions to achieve a 2030 renewable energy target of 52%.
Solar manufacturing in the Arab region remains difficult, IRENA says
In a study on the potential for local manufacturing of renewable energy equipment in the Arab region, IRENA has assessed how three pilot Arab countries – Lebanon, Jordan and the UAE – where development of clean energy is currently strong, may host PV, CSP and wind energy industries. In all of them, however, there are currently few chances of seeing a rising solar and renewable energy manufacturing industry, due to a series of challenges, such as, among others, the lack of a qualified workforce, and favorable regulatory settings.
Oman begins process for second 500 MW PV tender
The Oman Power and Water Procurement company (OPWP) is now seeking bids to secure technical consultancy services for the development of the project, the capacity of which could reach 1 GW.
UAE uses AI to map its solar potential
A newly created Artificial Intelligence Lab created by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment will use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to identify concentrated solar energy locations in the Emirates.
UPDATE: ACWA offered lowest bid in Egypt’s 200 MW tender
As pv magazine has learnt, the Saudi energy giant lowered its offer to $0.02752/kWh at the last minute, beating the bid lodged by Spain’s Fotowatio, which offered $0.02791 per kWh.
Oman to launch another 500 MW solar IPP tender by the end of 2018
The tender is part of a new plan by the Oman Power and Water Procurement company (OPWP), which envisages the deployment of 2 GW of solar through four 500 MW IPP tenders. One of these was launched by the Middle Eastern country in December of last year.
