Saudi’s ACWA Power, Badeel to develop the largest solar plant in the Middle East

Saudi Arabia’s private utility ACWA Power and a unit of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Wednesday signed agreements to develop the largest solar power plant in the Middle East, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The 2,060 megawatt project will be located in Al Shuaibah in Makkah province and is expected to be ready in the fourth quarter of 2025. The electricity generated from the project is expected to power 350,000 homes.

The plant will be jointly owned by the PIF subsidiary, the Water and Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), and ACWA Power, with each holding a 50% equity stake in the joint venture Shuiabah Two Electrical Energy Company, SPA reported.

Badeel and ACWA will build, own and operate the Al Shuaibah Two facility and the electricity produced will be sold to the Saudi Power Procurement Company.

Shuaibah 2 is ACWA Power’s sixth solar energy facility in Saudi Arabia. Badeel and ACWA are also developing the Sudair Solar PV 1,500 MW project, which was the first renewable energy project in PIF’s programme.