Saudi private energy developer Acwa Power has started generating electricity in the first phase of the 300MW Sakaka solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Saudi Arabia’s northern Al-Jawf region. Acwa chairman Muhammad Abunayyan told regional governor Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz on 14 November that the plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
Acwa offered Saudi renewables agency Repdo an electricity price of US¢2.34/kWh, which at the time was a record low for PV. However, this was not the lowest bid tendered. UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF offered a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of US¢1.79/kWh (MEES, 9 February 2018), which was only recently beaten by a bid for phase five of Dubai’s MPR Solar Park (see main story). (CONTINUED - 128 WORDS)
