My pick for this week’s MENA wind story has nothing to do with a turbine.
The Saudi Power Procurement Company is closing the qualification window tomorrow, May 5, on a tender for six new battery storage projects totaling 3 GW and 12 GWh. The six sites are Samha in Qassim, Al-Leeth, Khulis and Ashyrah in Makkah, Al-Henakiyah in Madinah, and Sadawi in the Eastern Province, each sized at 500 MW and 2 GWh with four hour duration, all delivered build own operate. This is the second tranche after the 2 GW and 8 GWh first wave, and it counts toward Saudi Arabia’s 48 GWh battery storage target for 2030.
What to look for
We read this tender as the firming layer Saudi wind will need as more capacity connects. Watch which consortia qualify, and watch the LCOS numbers when bid prices land.
What it means for MENA
My view is that storage decides how much new wind the region can absorb without curtailment. By tendering 12 GWh in one shot, on top of 8 GWh in the first wave, Saudi Arabia is giving the rest of the region a working model of wind firming at scale.
SPPC’s qualification deadline falls at 14:00 on May 5.
