As part of its plans to diversify its energy mix, Saudi Arabia invited developers to submit their bids to operate the first utility-size wind energy project that will be in the northern Al Jouf region. The new wind farm, Dumat Al Jandal, near the Kingdom’s border with Jordan, will cost $500 million and “generate enough power to supply up to 70,000 Saudi households as it connects to the northern electricity grid,” said energy minister Khalid Al Falih. The Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) received on July 23rd four bids, the lowest came in $21.30 per megawatt hour, placed by a joint venture between EDF and Masdar. Other bids ranged between $23 and $33 from a range of international companies, including Enel, Engie, and Martifer Renewables.