French 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 has not been disclosed.

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First up, EDF: The French renewables company will develop two solar parks totaling 1.4 GW — Al Masaa (1 GW) and Al Henakiyah 2 (400 MW) — in partnership with China’s State Power Investment Corporation.

BACKGROUND- The projects are the fifth round of projects issued under KSA’s National Renewable Energy Program. SPCC signed power purchase agreements (PPA) to offtake energy from the 1.1 GW Al Henakiyah 1 and the 400 MW Tabarjal solar park last year. The company also signed PPAs with Acwa Power and Badeel to develop and operate three solar energy projects with a 4.5 GW cumulative generation capacity at an investment ticket of SAR 12.2 bn (c. USD 3.3 bn) under the program last year.

Next, TotalEnergies: 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.

SAF also got a mention: 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.

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