State utility Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has awarded the contract to build the 1,390MW integrated solar and combined-cycle (ISCC) plant in the Waad al-Shamal industrial development to the consortium led by the US’ GE.

According to sources close to the project, the contract was signed on 30 December. The contract is estimated to be worth close to $1bn. The ISCC will have a total capacity of about 1,390MW, of which 50MW will come from a concentrated solar power (CSP) component. The majority of the capacity will be generated from gas-fired turbines.

MEED reported in September that GE, in partnership with Spain’s Abengoa, had submitted fresh bids along with a consortium of Germany’s Siemens and the local Al-Fanar Construction. According to sources close to the procurement of the project, the GE group was able to offer further discounts on the offers submitted.

The Waad-al Shamal plant is the second major ISCC contract that SEC has awarded in recent months.

On 31 October, SEC awarded a contract to Spain’s Initec Energia to build the Duba ISCC plant, which will include a gas-fired combined-cycle capacity of 485-550MW, and a solar output of 40-50MW.