The Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has received four bids for the development of the Al Ajban solar project, which will add 1,500MW of solar power capacity to the company.
The bids were submitted by ACWA Power, EDF Renewables, Marubeni Corporation, and a consortium comprising Jinko Power and JERA. With the addition of the Al Ajban solar farm, EWEC will now have a total solar power capacity of approximately 4 gigawatts (GW), making Abu Dhabi home to three of the world’s largest single-site solar power plants.
Once operational, the Al Ajban solar project is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 160,000 homes in the UAE. It is also projected to reduce Abu Dhabi’s carbon emissions by up to 2.4 million tonnes annually.
This solar project is a crucial component of EWEC’s strategic plans to increase Abu Dhabi’s solar power generation capacity to 7.3 GW by 2030. By 2035, it aims to supply 60% of the city’s total power demand from renewable and clean energy sources.
The success in attracting competitive bids for the project reflects EWEC’s expertise in implementing world-leading renewable energy initiatives. The company’s renewable energy plants have set global standards and demonstrate Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s commitment to addressing climate change challenges.
Othman Al Ali, CEO of EWEC, emphasized that these renewable energy projects strengthen the UAE’s position as a global leader and exemplar in implementing sustainable strategies to achieve long-term socio-economic and environmental goals.
EWEC received 43 expressions of interest from potential bidders, out of which 19 qualified for the request for proposals stage. The submitted proposals will undergo a rigorous evaluation process to determine the most suitable bid.
The announcement of the winning bid and the execution of the power purchase agreement are expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023.
In a separate development, EWEC recently issued a request for proposals for the Abu Dhabi Islands reverse osmosis (RO) water project. This initiative includes the establishment of two standalone low-carbon desalination plants on Saadiyat Island and Hudayriat Island, with a combined capacity of 100 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD), equivalent to 455,000 cubic meters of potable water per day.
Additionally, EWEC, along with TAQA (Abu Dhabi National Energy Company) and ENGIE, secured $620M in funding for the Mirfa 2 RO desalination project in Abu Dhabi. Once operational, the Mirfa 2 reverse osmosis plant will produce 120 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of water, providing approximately 550,000 cubic meters of potable water daily. EWEC will procure the water supplied by the plant for a period of 30 years.
