UAE’s EWEC secures four bids for 1,500MW Al Ajban solar park

UAE’s Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has received four bids for the development of the 1,500MW Al Ajban solar project, bringing the utility firm’s total solar power capacity to around 4 gigawatts (GW).

EWEC, a subsidiary of state-owned Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, said it received bid proposals from ACWA Power, EDF Renewables, Marubeni Corporation and a consortium consisting of Jinko Power and JERA.

The Al Ajban solar farm is EWEC’s third world-leading solar power project, making Abu Dhabi home to three of the world’s largest single-site solar power plants.

The project will generate enough electricity to power approximately 160,000 homes across the UAE once commercially operational. The solar farm is expected to reduce Abu Dhabi’s carbon emissions by as much as 2.4 million tonnes per year.

The Al Ajban solar project plays a pivotal role in enabling EWEC to achieve its strategic plans of raising Abu Dhabi’s solar power generation capacity to 7.3 GW by 2030. It is expected to supply 60 per cent of the city’s total power demand from renewable and clean energy sources by 2035.

EWEC’s renewable energy plants set a global benchmark for world-class utility-scale renewable energy projects, reinforcing Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s position as an international leader in addressing pressing climate change challenges during the Year of Sustainability ahead of COP28 UAE and beyond.

“EWEC’s renewable energy projects are further strengthening the UAE’s position as a global leader and role model in planning and implementing strategic tangible actions to realise long-term socio-economic and sustainability objectives,” said Othman Al Ali, CEO of EWEC.

“Receiving these competitive bids demonstrates our expertise in commissioning world-leading renewable energy projects that attract internationally renowned companies to collaborate on achieving the UAE’s carbon-neutral future.”

EWEC said it received 43 expressions of interest from potential bidding companies and consortiums, with 19 qualifying for the request for proposals stage after submitting statements of qualification. The proposals will undergo a detailed technical and commercial evaluation process to select the best proposal.

The awarding announcement and the execution of the power purchase agreement are expected to take place by Q4 2023.

EWEC drives sustainability

Meanwhile, earlier in July EWEC issued a request for proposals to qualified developers and developer consortiums that expressed interest in developing the new Abu Dhabi Islands reverse osmosis (RO) water project. The project consists of two standalone greenfield low-carbon intensive desalination plants that will be located on Saadiyat Island and Hudayriat Island.

Combined, the plants provide a combined total of 100 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD), equivalent to 455,000 cubic metres of potable water per day.

Together with TAQA (Abu Dhabi National Energy Company) and ENGIE, EWEC secured $620m in funding for the low-carbon Mirfa 2 RO desalination project in Abu Dhabi in June.

The Mirfa 2 reverse osmosis will produce 120 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of water once fully operational, equating to roughly 550,000 cubic metres per day of potable water. EWEC will procure the water supplied from the plant for 30 years.

Read: EWEC’s Taweelah Reverse Osmosis facility surpasses 90 per cent capacity