Ewec seeks bids for 1500MW Abu Dhabi solar PV project

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from developer/developer consortiums for a new solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project to be located in the Ajban area of Abu Dhabi.

A leading company in the integrated coordination of planning, purchasing and supply of water and electricity across the UAE, Ewec said Al Ajban Solar PV is the third world leading large-scale utility solar PV project being developed by it following the successful closings of Noor Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra Solar PV.

A greenfield solar PV plant with a capacity of 1,500 MW, the Al Ajban facility is fundamentally important to the energy transition and sustainability strategy of Abu Dhabi, and will play a pivotal role in successfully achieving the sustainability and energy diversification objectives of UAE Energy Strategy 2050, and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative through the use of renewable and clean energy, said Ewec in its statement.

It will generate enough electricity for approximately 160,000 homes across the UAE and, once commercially operational, it is expected to reduce Abu Dhabi's CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tonnes per year, it added.

CEO Othman Al Ali said: "Ewec is at the forefront of developing world leading solar power projects. Our strategic investments in solar power have seen us develop Noor Abu Dhabi, the current world's largest single-site solar power plant, and Al Dhafra Solar PV, which will be the new world's largest single-site solar power plant once commercially operational."

"With Al Ajban Solar PV, which will be similar in size and capacity output to Al Dhafra Solar PV, Abu Dhabi and the UAE will have the three largest, world leading solar power plants, increasing the diversification of our energy production portfolio, and significantly advancing decarbonisation of the energy sector. We are delighted to invite expressions of interest from developer or developer consortiums for the Al Ajban Solar PV project," he added.

The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the plant, and associated infrastructure.

The successful developer or developer consortium will own up to 40% of the entity while the remaining equity will be held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government, it stated.

Also the winning developer will enter into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Ewec, the single buyer of power and water capacity and output in Abu Dhabi.

The PPA will be structured as an energy purchase agreement whereby Ewec will pay only for the net electrical energy supplied by the plant.

Ewec has set May 27 as the deadline for submitting the EoIs. Following the review of the bids, the Emirati utility will issue the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to proceed to the next stage.-TradeArabia News Service