Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from developers and developer consortiums for the development of an independent greenfield 400-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) power project.

A leading company in the integrated co-ordination of planning, purchasing and supply of water and electricity across the UAE, Ewec said it will deploy BESS to provide additional flexibility to the system and ancillary services such as frequency response and voltage regulation.

BESS technology will play a crucial role in Ewec’s strategic plan to diversify its portfolio of energy projects with a focus on sustainability, in addition to increasing its total solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity to 7.5 GW by 2030.

By implementing these critical strategic renewable energy projects, Ewec expects to cut its average carbon dioxide intensity from power generation by 42% from 330kg per megawatt hour (kg/MWh) in 2019 to an estimated 190kg/MWh by 2030.

CEO Othman Al Ali said: "This project is a key part of our strategy to achieve the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 and supports the UAE’s wider sustainability and decarbonisation objectives. Importantly, it also actively enhances the reliability of the nation’s energy infrastructure."

"Compared to traditional grid storage solutions, BESS offers unmatched advantages, including increased flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and improved efficiency. EWEC continues to see BESS as a critical investment to manage system operability when large amounts of renewables are synchronised to the power system," he noted.

"We look forward to receiving EOI submissions from developers and developer consortiums to partner with us in accelerating the UAE’s energy transition," he added.

The project will closely follow the model of Abu Dhabi’s successful independent power project programme, where developers enter into a long-term agreement with Ewec as the sole procurer.

The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the BESS system and associated infrastructure.

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