Capacity Building for Open Solar Contracts in Arab Countries

Following this extensive consultative process, the three institutions set out to establish the current gaps preventing larger scale deployment of renewables in the region as input to an Action Plan to implement the PACE initiative in IRENA’s Work Programme, and within this framework, are organizing this regional capacity building activity on the use of Open Solar Contracts (OSC).

As the participating countries are seeking to implement fast track power sector development plans, with an emphasis on utility scale wind and solar projects, IRENA has been requested to support this plan by offering capacity building regarding the design of power purchase agreements (PPAs) and identify risk mitigation tools.

IRENA and Terrawatt Initiative (TWI) teamed up on the OSC initiative since 2017 to support the rapid and widespread scale-up of solar energy. OSC provides freely available standardised contract documentation designed to streamline project development and finance processes for solar PV projects. The model agreement templates that comprise OSC are products of a rigorous and collective process involving key market-leading energy stakeholders. Backed by several top-tier law firms, the initiative aims to decrease transaction costs, shorten project development timelines and facilitate balanced risk allocation. To implement this project, Terrawatt Initiative and IRENA collaborated with more than 30 leading development banks, law firms and industry associations and in particular, the model PPA and Implementation Agreements are two examples of "tools" that are publicly available.

Objective of the Workshop

The overarching objective of the workshop is to empower the participants with the practical skills and confidence to utilise the OSC and to have a strong position and understanding when using the OSC in the procurement of affordable solar power. At the completion of the workshop the attendees should have the practical skills and knowledge to clearly identify and mitigate contractual risks and to defend the contractual position of their respective Governments in the procurement of affordable solar energy and to prepare an OSC set of Implementation Agreement and PPA for their countries.

Closed event (by invitation only)