TotalEnergies and EDF Renewables have announced plans to build solar parks in Saudi Arabia. The agreements were made during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Riyadh earlier this week. TotalEnergies will construct a 300 Megawatt (MW) solar park in Rabigh Industrial City. The project is in partnership with Aljomaih Energy and Water Company, a Saudi firm. It is expected to begin operation in 2026.
EDF Renewables will develop two solar parks with a total capacity of 1.4 GW. These include the 1 GW Al-Masaa project and the 400 MW Al-Henakiyah 2 project. EDF is partnering with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) for these projects.
All the projects were awarded under Saudi Arabia’s fifth renewable energy tender. The contracts are based on a build-own-operate model and include 25-year power purchase agreements with the Saudi Power Procurement Company.
Saudi Arabia aims to build 130 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Currently, its renewable capacity is less than 5 GW. The International Energy Agency estimates that the kingdom will contribute one-third of renewable energy growth in the Middle East and North Africa region over the next five years.
Separately, an agreement involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), its subsidiary Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), and Veolia was announced. The partnership aims to develop waste management and recycling efforts in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia previously stated that the 3.7 GW renewable tender round, which includes the TotalEnergies and EDF projects, would attract investments of over 8 billion Saudi riyals ($2.1 billion).
Additionally, TotalEnergies has ongoing renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia, including the 119 MW Wadi Al Dawasir solar park, which is set to be operational by 2025. The company is also a shareholder in SAFEER, a solar energy business focused on industrial clients.
