Jordan’s Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR) has received proposals from six groups for its wind projects - they come under the third round of its national renewable energy programme.

The client received the bids from developers on 3 December.

Proposals for a 50MW wind project were received from the following bidders:

• Alcazar Energy (UAE)
• Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia)
• EP Global (Cyprus)
• Sam Green (France)
• Mass Group (Local)
• Neoen (US) / Catalyst Mena Clean Energy (local)

Under the third round of its national renewables programme, MEMR has set a target to develop wind projects with a total capacity of 100MW in the southern part of the kingdom. The site will be chosen by the developer.

The third round is also planned to include up to 200MW of photovoltaic (PV) solar capacity at a designated site in the Maan area of the country.

MEED reported in September that China’s Jinko Solar had submitted the lowest 50MW tariff price for the PV component of the third round.

The Chinese firm submitted a tariff price of JDfils17.65 ($cents 2.48) a kilowatt hour (kWh) for its 50MW proposal under the third round of the renewables programme. The local Alrai Energy submitted the second-lowest bid of JDfils17.78/kWh.

The full list of bidders and 50MW proposals comprises:

• Jinko Solar (China): JDfils17.65/kWh
• Alrai Energy (local): JDfils17.79/kWh
• Canadian Solar: JDfils24.4/kWh
• FRV Solar Holdings (Spain/Saudi Arabia): JDfils24.42/kWh
• First Solar (US): JDfils25.4/kWh
• Phelan Energy Group (South Africa): JDfils27.997/kWh
• Masdar (UAE): JDfils29.193/kWh
• Voltalia (France): JDfils29.26/kWh
• Neoen (US) / Catalyst Mena Clean Energy (local): JDfils29.9592/kWh
• Hanwha Energy (South Korea) / Kepco (South Korea) / Arabia Trading & Consulting (local): JDfils31.0554/kWh
• TBEA Xinjiang Sunoasis (China): JDfils32.95/kWh
• Solarpack Corporacion Technologica (Spain) / Xenel International (Saudi Arabia): JDfils33.76/kWh
• Adenium Capital (UAE) / ET Solutions (Germany) / Ahmad Yousef al-Tarawneh & Partner (local): JDfils33.9/kWh
• Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia) / Chint Solar (China): JDfils34.307/kWh

Out of the remaining 14 bidders, 13 submitted 100MW proposals in addition to the 50MW base proposals. Financial analysis for the 100MW proposals will be conducted in the next few days, according to a source close to the programme. The Adenium consortium was the only group to have solely submitted a 50MW base proposal.

Successful applicants in the third round will enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MEMR, which will enable them to proceed with measurement campaigns, feasibility studies and technical integration plans for connection into the national grid, as well as other relevant preparatory work.

The invited participants will then submit a direct proposal within the required time frame to MEMR, after which the client will select the best projects to proceed with. Submitted proposals will be ranked according to price, and the bids with the lowest tariffs selected as preferred bidders.

Selected developer consortiums will form project companies to operate as independent power producers (IPP) under a power-purchase agreement (PPA) with the Jordanian government offtaker Nepco, for a period of 20-25 years.