In the near future, Saudi Arabia plans to launch Dumat Al Jandal, a 500 million US dollar project that is set to change the way the country consumes energy in the near future. This 400 MW utility-scale wind farm will be located in Al Jouf region, north of the Kingdom, and will generate enough power to supply up to 70,000 Saudi households.
Bids for the project are currently underway, with France’s EDF Energies Nouvelles and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar placing the lowest bid, followed by the Dubai branch of France’s Engie and Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works. Also bidding is the consortium of Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and Portugal’s Martifer Renewables, as well as Italy’s Enel Green Power and local firm Al Babtain Contracting.
As Saudi Arabia looks to diversify its industries and move away from its dependency on oil, the Dumat Al Jandal project falls perfectly within the country’s goal to have 10 percent renewable energy by the year 2023. The wind farm, which will officially be awarded in mid-December, will be backed by a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Saudi Power Procurement Company.
To mark this new chapter in Saudi Arabia’s progress, Khalid Al Falih, the Minister of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources, said, “The Kingdom’s first utility-scale wind project opens a new chapter in our journey towards a diversified energy mix. The development of a wind energy industry in Saudi Arabia is an important component of our wider industrial diversification strategy.”
