Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec), the UAE’s leading procurer of water and electricity, has issued a tender for the construction and development of a new 2,000 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power project to be located at Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi.

The new project forms part of a series of projects approved by the higher Committee for the Water and Electricity Sector in Abu Dhabi.

Once completed, the project site will cover an area of approximately 20 sq km, almost doubling the capacity of the current largest operational single-site solar PV plant in the world, Noor Abu Dhabi, said the statement from Ewec.
 
The new project is expected to achieve commercial operations during the first quarter of 2022, upon which it would take Abu Dhabi solar capacity to 3,200 MW.

This follows the receipt by Ewec earlier this year of 48 expression of interests (EOIs) from leading international and local developers, said the developer.

In line with the successful independent water and power producer (IWPP) programme launched by the Abu Dhabi government in 1998, successful bidders would hold a 40 per cent equity participation in the project, with the remaining stake held by local entities, it added.

Commenting on the move, CEO Othman Al Ali said: "The new solar project in Al Dhafra marks yet another milestone in Ewec’s commitment to the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to increase the contribution of clean energy as part the country’s overall energy mix."

"The strong interest expressed so far illustrates the attractive business model and reaffirms the strong case for investment in the UAE’s renewable energy sector," he added.

A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, Ewec is the sole procurer of water and electricity within the emirate, with the mandate to ensure the supply of power and water to consumers in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

The company is also responsible for purchasing, selling, planning, organising and managing supply and demand of power and water.-TradeArabia News Service