ABU DHABI - Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) today invited developers and developer consortiums to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the development of a new Khazna Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Independent Power Project (IPP) in Abu Dhabi by the deadline of 2nd October 2023, at 12:00 noon Gulf Standard Time (GST).

Interested parties are requested to submit their EOI via electronic copy to khaznapv.project@ewec.ae.

Following a review of the EOIs, EWEC will issue the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to proceed to the next stage. The RFQ will provide additional details regarding the project, pre-qualification criteria and the bidding process. After RFQ, the subsequent Request for Proposal to qualified bidders will be shared following regulatory approval of the project.

The development of EWEC’s new solar PV project aligns with the company’s strategic plan to build additional renewable energy plants that increase its total solar power generation capacity to 7.3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.

The Khazna Solar PV project, a greenfield solar power project with a generation capacity of 1,500 megawatts (AC), will be similar in scale and production capacity to Al Dhafra Solar PV and Al Ajban Solar PV.

Once fully operational, the project will generate enough electricity for approximately 160,000 homes across the UAE and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tonnes per year, equivalent to removing approximately 470,000 cars from the road.

Othman Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC, said, “Solar energy is an integral pillar of EWEC’s strategy in transitioning our portfolio to a low-carbon system and decarbonising electricity production. We continue to strategically invest in developing world-leading renewable projects that significantly accelerate our journey to meeting 60 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s total power demand from renewable and clean energy sources by 2035 and actively contributing to achieving the UAE’s sustainability objectives.

He added that EWEC is also planning to commission at least two additional 1,500MW solar PV projects, reflecting the commitment to adding an average of 1GW solar capacity per year for the next decade.

The Khazna Solar PV project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the plant and associated infrastructure.

The project will follow the independent power project programme of Abu Dhabi, where developers enter into a long-term power purchase agreement with EWEC as the sole procurer of electricity.