Nextpower Arabia, a newly established joint venture between global solar technology leader Nextpower and Saudi Arabia’s Abunayyan Holding, has secured its first landmark contract, supplying 2.25 gigawatts (GWp) of advanced solar tracking systems for the Bisha Solar Project.
The trackers will be delivered to Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the engineering and construction partner for the project, which is being developed by an ACWA Power led consortium. The Bisha Solar Project was awarded by the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) under Wave 6 of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), overseen by the Ministry of Energy.
Located in the Asir Province, the Bisha Solar Project is the largest installation in Wave 6 and marks another major step in Saudi Arabia’s push to diversify its energy mix and accelerate decarbonisation. Once completed, the project will significantly expand the Kingdom’s utility-scale solar capacity and contribute to its long-term sustainability goals.
The 2.25 GWp order is also the first major project to be executed through Nextpower Arabia, which is now fully operational and positioned to localise solar technology manufacturing and supply across the region.
A key focus of the joint venture is localisation. Nextpower Arabia will handle regional sales, manufacturing, logistics and supply chain operations, enabling faster deployment of solar plants while supporting industrial development and workforce growth across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Bharathi Kumar, General Manager (Renewable International) at L&T, emphasised the value of local production, “We have tremendous confidence in Nextpower Arabia to provide the most advanced utility-grade solar solutions that will help us deliver maximum performance and low-cost clean energy through the new Bisha Solar Plant long into the future. Localising the production of these new systems that will form the foundation of the Bisha plant will deliver greater efficiencies throughout the development process while reducing the cost and impact of international shipping.”
For Nextpower, the deal reinforces its strategic focus on the MENA region and its long-standing collaboration with ACWA Power and L&T.
Dan Shugar, Founder and CEO of Nextpower, said the project represents a milestone for the company’s regional expansion, “The MENA region is a top strategic priority for Nextpower. This project builds on our longstanding partnerships with ACWA Power and L&T and marks an important milestone for our new joint venture with Abunayyan Holding. Through Nextpower Arabia, we are localising the industry’s most resilient and intelligent solar plant technologies, engineered specifically for the region’s demanding conditions, while strengthening the local supply chain to support Saudi Arabia’s long-term energy transition goals.”
Turki Al-Amri, Chairman and CEO of Nextpower Arabia and CEO of Abunayyan Holding, added that the Bisha project aligns closely with national development priorities, “The Bisha project will significantly contribute to national and regional renewable energy transformation objectives. By manufacturing and producing Nextpower Arabia systems in the Kingdom, we can deliver a wide range of benefits from our newly localised solar supply chain for our development partners while advancing Saudi’s national industrialisation strategy.”
The announcement comes amid a broader wave of renewable investment in Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, ACWA Power in partnership with Badeel (Water and Electricity Holding Company) and Saudi Aramco Power Company (SAPCO) committed $8.3 billion to develop seven large-scale renewable energy plants, adding around 15 GW of capacity to the national grid.
Nextpower has been active in the region since 2018, when it supported the 405 MW Sakaka Solar Park in Saudi Arabia. With the addition of Bisha, the company’s total deployed and contracted capacity in the MENA region now exceeds 6 GW.