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Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has invited bids for the development of a new solar project to in the Ajban area of Abu Dhabi.
EWEC, a state-owned company which procures water and electricity from independent producers, said the 1.5-gigawatt greenfield solar photovoltaic independent power project will be 40 percent owned by the developer.
The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the plant, and associated infrastructure.
The developer will enter into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with EWEC. The PPA will be structured as an energy purchase agreement whereby EWEC will pay only for the net electrical energy supplied by the plant.
The project is expected to reduce Abu Dhabi’s CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tons per year, the company said.
The UAE has in recent years accelerated investments in clean energy projects in line with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Clean Energy 2050 initiatives.
EWEC has previously developed Noor Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra solar projects in the emirate.
(Reporting by Brinda Darasha; editing by Daniel Luiz)
