Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (Repdo), which is part of the Ministry of Energy, Industry & Mineral Resources, has extended the bid submission date for the kingdom’s first major wind project for a second time.

The client has extended the bid submission date to 17 April from the previous bid submission date of 20 March, according to sources close to the programme. The original bid deadline was 25 January.

Repdo has prequalified 25 companies to participate in the tender for a 400MW scheme at Dumat al-Jandal, which will be the second project under the initial 700MW tendered under the kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP). The project will be developed under the independent power project (IPP) model.

The renewables body has prequalified companies in three categories: managing member and technical member; managing member; and technical member. Companies that have not been prequalified as managing or technical member for the first round can still be involved in the projects as part of a consortium formed by a prequalified managing member and technical member.

The prequalified firms are:

This is the second time Repdo has prequalified developers for a 400MW wind project. The renewables office had prequalified 24 companies to participate in a 400MW wind project in April, but, after deciding to change the location of the site from Midyan to Dumat al-Jandal, the client reopened the prequalification process. MEED reported in early June that Repdo was planning to change the site due to the government considering the implementation of a large-scale tourism development at Midyan.

In February, Repdo awarded the contract for the first project under the NREP, the 300MW photovoltaic (PV) Sakaka solar project. The contract was awarded to a consortium led by the local Acwa Power.