TotalEnergies, Acwa, Masdar in race for major Kuwait solar project

06/10/2025 04:45 AST

Consortiums led by leading utility majors including French group EDF Renouvelables; Hong Kong-based Jinko Power and Chinese group Tianjin Zhonghuan New Energy as well as regional giants Saudi-based Acwa Power and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) are among the qualified bidders shortlisted by Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects for the Al Dibdibah Power and Al Shagaya Renewable Energy - Phase III - Zone 2 Solar PV IPP.

KAPP, the central governmental agency for tendering and implementing PPP projects within Kuwait, is implementing this renewable power project in collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity & Water & Renewable Energy of Kuwait (MEWRE).

As per the list released by KAPP, MEWRE and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, only three companies - French utility major TotalEnergies Renewables and two Turkish firms - Limak Yatirim Enerji Uretim Sirketi Isletme Hizmetleri ve Insaat and Kalyon Enerji Yatirimlari Anonim Sirketi - have expressed interest to single-handedly implement the project without any consortium partners.

The project, which lies within the administrative boundary of the Jahra Governorate in the west of Kuwait City, is located 100km from the capital city.

According to KAPP, the winning bidder will be responsible for the design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of the Al Dibdibah Power and Al Shagaya Renewable Energy - Phase III - Zone 2 Solar PV IPP, which on completion will boast a net capacity of 500 MW of power.

The project will benefit from Power Purchase Agreement (PP) with MEWRE as the offtaker for a 30-year term.

Once operational, it will export the output from the plant to Kuwait's electricity grid and transmission network.

The qualified consortiums for the Al Dibdibah Power and Al Shagaya Renewable Energy - Phase III - Zone 2 Solar PV IPP are:

*Acwa Power with consortium partner Alternative Energy Projects Company
*EDF Renouvelables with Abdullah Al Hamad Al Sagar and Brothers Company and Korean Western Power (Kowepo)
*Jinko Power with Combined Group Contracting
*Masdar with Fouad Alghanim & Sons General Trading and Contracting Company
*Swift Control Management Systems with Kuwait-based Arizona National for General Trading and Contracting and Chinese group Tianjin Zhonghuan New Energy with Sinotec Company and Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi and Sons.

Fort the project, KAPP and MEWRE are being assisted by EY as lead and financial advisor, while DLA Piper is the legal advisor and DNV the technical and environmental advisor.

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