QAZAQ GREEN.  Saudi Arabia has launched a tender for 3.3 GW of wind and solar energy projects as part of the National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP), the Ministry of Energy said on Sunday.

The Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), the principal buyer in the kingdom, has unveiled a total of five projects that aim for the deployment of 1.8 GW of wind energy and 1.5 GW of solar capacity.

As part of the round, Saudi Arabia is seeking to build a 700-MW wind farm in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast and another one of 600 MW in Al-Ghat, Riyadh Province. The third wind project has a capacity of 500 MW and will be located in Waad Al-Shamal, northern Saudi Arabia.

The targeted solar capacity includes a 1.1-GW project in the eastern governorate of Al-Hinakiya and another solar park with a capacity of 400 MW that will be set up in Tabarjal in the north.

The realisation of the five projects will support the kingdom's goal of diversifying its electricity mix and shifting away from fossil fuels.