Bahrain Launches Tender for 150 MW Solar Plant

The government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, through its national Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), has issued a tender for the country’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic plant, with a planned capacity of around 150 megawatts. The site, located near Bilaj Al Jazayer in southern Bahrain, covers approximately 1.2 square kilometres and is scheduled to reach commercial operations around the third quarter of 2027.

Once operational, the plant is expected to supply electricity sufficient for approximately 6,300 homes and deliver an annual reduction of more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The initiative is a core component of Bahrain’s national renewable-energy strategy, aligned with its goal of increasing the share of renewables to 20% of the electricity mix by 2035 and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

The project is structured as a public-private partnership, inviting developers to build, own and operate the plant under a long-term agreement, and thereby strengthen the nation’s clean-energy infrastructure, enhance energy security, and support sustainable growth.

The 150 MW tender is a significant step for Bahrain's renewable programme, moving beyond the recently-announced rooftop programme into utility-scale ground-mounted PV. The 20 percent renewable-share target by 2035, combined with 2060 net-zero ambition, signals a coherent decarbonisation trajectory even as Gulf peers have moved faster on individual projects. Structuring the tender as a PPP builds international investor confidence and supports competitive tariffs.

The 1.2 sq km site, targeting Q3 2027 commercial operations, provides commercial visibility that developers need for supply chain planning. Bahrain's approach - combining rooftop, ground-mounted, and future project pipeline - reflects a portfolio strategy that reduces execution risk and creates multiple entry points for developer participation across project sizes and technologies.

For renewable developers, EPC contractors, financial institutions and technology providers evaluating Gulf market opportunities, Cognitud's energy transition, market intelligence and responsible investment teams help clients navigate cross-jurisdiction tender processes, structure PPP financing arrangements aligned with regional practice, and prepare ESG disclosures that increasingly determine bankability and access to development-finance-institution capital in emerging Middle East renewable markets.