The 1,171 MW Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become operational and is one of the largest operational single site solar power plants in the world today. Reuters carried a press release by the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) to report the plant's commissioning. It is expected to generate enough clean energy to serve the electricity requirements of 90,000 people.
"We are very pleased to deliver the world's largest solar PV independent power project into full commercial operations within budget and on schedule, and we appreciate the leadership of EWEC and the support of our other business partners in this achievement," said COO of the power division of Marubeni Corporation Yoshiaki Yokota.
Developed by a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Power Corporation and a consortium of Japan's Marubeni Corporation and China's JinkoSolar Holding, the Sweihan located plant has been energized with an investment of AED 3.2 billion ($871 million) and more than 3.2 million solar panels. The consortium had won the project for a tariff of $0.0242 per kWh. Sterling and Wilson, the EPC company from India, was the EPC contractor of the plant (see Indian EPC Bags Sweihan Contract).
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres toured the facility spread over 8 km2 in a helicopter and tweeted about this trip. He was in Abu Dhabi to attend the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting where the United Nations Climate Action Summit is scheduled to take place in November 2019.
At the Climate Meeting, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi said the 1.17 GW plant will be eclipsed by the region's 2 GW solar project planned for the Al Dhafra region in Abu Dhabi. The project was announced in February 2019 when EWEC sought expression of interest from developers. Zeyoudi said the administration is currently welcoming companies to submit bids (see Call For 2 GW PV Project In Abu Dhabi).