The renewable energy arm of Indian contracting company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has finalised orders for two solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the Middle East, the company said in a bourse filing on 8 July.

The plants will have a cumulative capacity of 3,500MW.

The scope of the orders includes grid interconnections encompassing pooling substations and overhead transmission lines.

The company said detailed engineering and initial construction work are expected to commence shortly on the two projects.

L&T previously appointed solar PV suppliers for the Al-Rass  2 and Al-Kahfah solar PV projects in Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the team that won the contract to develop and operate the projects, Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power and the Water & Electricity Holding Company (Badeel).

The Al-Rass and Al-Kahfah projects have respective capacities of 2,000MW and 1,425MW.

The projects are part of Saudi Arabia's National Renewable Energy Programme being procured by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) under the Price Discovery Scheme.

In late June, the power-purchase agreements for three new solar PV projects under the fourth round of the scheme were signed.

The team that will develop the three new projects consists of Acwa Power, PIF-backed Badeel and Saudi Aramco Power Company (Sapco), a subsidiary of the state majority-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco.

The three projects, the EPC contractors for which have yet to be officially disclosed, are:

• Haden solar PV (Mecca): 2,00MW
• Muwayh solar PV (Mecca): 2,000MW
• Al-Khushaybi solar PV (Qassim): 1,500MW