Abu Dhabi’s GW-Scale Solar Project Moves Forward

• EWEC has announced receiving 4 proposals for its Al Ajban Solar Power Project
• ACWA Power, EDF Renewables, Marubeni, and a consortium of JinkPower & JERA have been identified as the applicants
• Winners will enter into power purchase agreement with EWEC by Q4/2023 after the proposals are evaluated

Electricity and water supplier to Abu Dhabi, the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) says it has received 4 proposals from Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power, France's EDF Renewables, Japan's Marubeni Corporation, and a consortium of China's Jinko Power and Japan's JERA for its 1.5 GW AC Al Ajban solar PV project.

The 4 companies were part of 19 applicants selected as pre-qualifiers out of 43 applications it received in response to the expression of interest (EOI) round for the project. EWEC finally received 4 proposals from these companies (see Proposals Invited For 1.5 GW AC Abu Dhabi Solar PV Facility).

The agency did not reveal financial bids received from the applicants for this project.

Proposals received will now undergo technical and commercial evaluation. The final proposal selected will have the winner entering a power purchase agreement (PPA) with EWEC by Q4/2023. On completion, it is expected to generate enough clean energy to power some 160,000 homes across the UAE.

EWEC says the Al Ajban project will take the agency's total solar power capacity to around 4 GW AC.

"Al Ajban Solar PV 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," stated EWEC.

The previous 2 solar projects that EWEC refers to is 1.17 GW Noor Abu Dhabi PV Plant and the 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar Facility.