Under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and EDF Power Solutions have signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) for the development of the 600 MW Samtah Solar PV Power Project. The agreement marks a major milestone in Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy journey under Round 6 of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).
The signing ceremony took place in Riyadh in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy, and Bernard Fontana, Chairman and CEO of the EDF Group. The PPA was signed by Eng. Khalid bin Salem AlGhamdi, CEO of the Saudi Electricity Company; Mazin Al-Bahkali, CEO of the Saudi Power Procurement Company; and Omar Al-Daweesh, CEO KSA, EDF Group and EDF Power Solutions.
Located in the Jazan Province, approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Jazan City and 15 kilometers north of Samtah, the project will be developed, financed, built, owned, and operated by a consortium formed by SEC and EDF Power Solutions. Once operational in the first quarter of 2028, the Samtah Solar Power Project will generate clean electricity for more than 100,000 homes annually and is expected to offset over 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The project represents a key step forward in Saudi Arabia’s energy transition, supporting the national target of generating around 50 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Eng. Khalid bin Salem AlGhamdi, CEO of Saudi Electricity Company, said: “ The award of the Samtah Solar Power Project marks a defining milestone for Saudi Electricity Company as we embark on our first large-scale solar photovoltaic venture. Guided by the vision and leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, this achievement reflects our strategic commitment to expanding renewable generation, accelerating decarbonization, and contributing to the Kingdom’s energy transformation goals under Vision 2030.
Expanding into renewable opportunities reinforces our ambition to build a balanced and future-ready energy portfolio that delivers sustainable growth and long-term shareholder value. It also underscores SEC’s pivotal role at the heart of the Kingdom’s power sector transformation advancing renewable energy while maintaining reliable, high-quality service across the Kingdom.”
Omar Al-Daweesh, CEO KSA, EDF Group & EDF Power Solutions, added : “The award of the Samtah Solar Project marks another significant milestone in EDF’s longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Energy and the Saudi Power Procurement Company. Leveraging EDF’s extensive technical expertise and deep local knowledge, this project underscores our commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s clean energy ambitions while maintaining high environmental and social standards. With this achievement, EDF’s renewable energy capacity in the Kingdom now reaches 4,100 MW—further strengthening our contribution to local value creation, sustainable development, and the realization of Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan for a cleaner, more prosperous future for all.”
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