Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC),Abu Dhabi’s utility, has released a tender for a new 1.5 GW solar power project in the Al Dhafra region. The project, named the Zarraf Solar PV project, is part of the UAE’s overall renewables strategy to further develop clean energy generation within the country.
The Zarraf Solar PV project is the fifth of its size in the renewable power projects being developed by EWEC. It is keeping with the strategy of EWEC to speed up the deployment of renewable energy, as the company aims to add an average of 1.4 GW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity annually between 2027 and 2037.
The PPA ensures the selected developer will provide solar energy with a fixed price over a long period, so the matter stabilizes and invests in renewable infrastructure.
This tender comes hot on the heels of other major recent announcements by EWEC regarding other large-scale solar projects. In October 2023, EWEC launched another tender for a further 1.5 GW in a standalone solar power plant located in the Khazna area where several data centers will soon be built.
In July earlier this year, four proposals for the 1.5 GW Al-Ajban solar project applied for the contract to the Emirates Water and Electricity Corporation. The bidders included several major international energy firms: Saudi Arabian ACWA Power, French EDF, Japanese Marubeni, and a consortium by China-based Jinko Power and Japan’s JERA. The 1.5 GW Al-Ajban project had been issued for tender in May 2022.
The solar energy projects focus, in which EWEC contributes to the UAE’s overall goals in its long-term energy strategy to diversify the country’s energy mix, reduce reliance on fossil fuel usage, and ensure sustainability.
