UAE Hydroelectric Company has received four bids for the development of a 1500 MW Al Ajban solar project. Ewec stated that these proposals come from Acwa Power, EDF Renewables, Marubeni Corporation in Saudi Arabia, as well as a consortium composed of Jingko Power and JERA.

The Al Ajban solar photovoltaic project will be put into operation in 2026 and will be able to power approximately 160000 households in the United Arab Emirates. It is expected that Abu Dhabi's carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by up to 2.4 million tons per year. It will also increase Ewec's total solar power generation capacity to approximately 4 gigawatts.

Ewec's renewable energy projects have further strengthened the UAE's global leadership and exemplary position in planning and implementing strategic and practical actions to achieve long-term socio-economic and Sustainable Development Goals, said Othman Al Ali, Ewec's CEO.

Mr. Al Ali said that receiving these competitive bids demonstrates our expertise in commissioning world leading renewable energy projects that have attracted internationally renowned companies to collaborate to achieve a carbon neutral future in the United Arab Emirates.

Ewec stated that it has received 43 letters of intent from potential bidding companies, of which 19 are eligible to enter the proposal stage. The company stated that the announcement of the award and the signing of the power purchase agreement are expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2023.

As the United Arab Emirates pursues the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It plans to increase its solar power generation capacity to 7.3 gigawatts by the end of this century, Ewec stated in its future capacity demand statement report in March. The report also predicts that by 2029, in addition to the 1.5 gigawatts purchased from the Al Ajban factory, an additional 3 gigawatts of solar power generation capacity will be required. The United Arab Emirates is investing heavily in clean energy projects and has announced several measures to achieve the 2050 targets.

The country is developing new clean energy projects, such as the Solar power station Barakah nuclear power plant in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, with a total capacity of 2 GW, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park in Dubai with a total capacity of 5 GW.

According to the latest goals of the UAE's 2050 energy strategy, the second largest economy in the Arab world will invest $54 billion by 2030 to ensure that it meets energy demand while maintaining economic growth. In May, a 2.3 billion Dirham desalination plant named Mirfa 2 reverse osmosis project achieved financial settlement. Ewec has awarded the contract to develop the factory to Abu Dhabi National Energy Company and Engie in France.Editor/XingWentao