Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power has awarded a $190m contract to China’s Chint Group to build three solar plants it is developing in Egypt under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) programme.

The contract, signed during the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, covers three solar projects which will have a combined capacity of 165.5MW.

MEED reported earlier in January that Acwa Power had reached financial close for the three solar projects, of which 75 per cent will be financed through non-recourse project debt from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

The solar plants will be located in the Aswan province in Benban, and will have the capacity to generate 67.5MW, 70MW and 28MW individually. The projects are expected to reach financial close by the fourth quarter of 2017, with construction due to start by the end of the year. For the 67.5MW project, the local Hassan Allam Holding is Acwa Power’s partner for the scheme.