France’s state-owned electricity giant EDF Renewables and TotalEnergies were awarded tenders to develop solar parks in Saudi, Reuters reports. The investment size of the projects — the awards for which were announced during French President Emanuel Macron’s state visit to Riyadh — wasn’t disclosed.
The details: EDF will develop two solar parks totaling 1.4 GW — Al Masaa (1 GW) and Al Henakiyah 2 (0.4 GW) — in partnership with China’s State Power Investment Corporation. Meanwhile, a consortium of TotalEnergies and Saudi developer Aljomaih Energy and Water Company signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Saudi Power Procurement Company for the 300 MW Rabigh 2 solar power project, according to a statement (pdf). The project is set to come online in 2026.
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ALSO- Aramco, TotalEnergies, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company signed a Joint Development and Cost Sharing Agreement to evaluate establishing a sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) plant in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, according to two separate statements (here, and here). This aims to utilize innovative technologies to recycle local waste, such as used cooking oils and animal fats, into SAF.
MEANWHILE- Aramco is zeroing-in on China as a destination for new petrochemical investments, Senior VP Ali Al Mishari told AlEqtisadiah on the sidelines of a petrochem conference in Dhahran. The Aramco official cited the Chinese market’s advanced technologies, high production capacity, and competitive production costs as factors.