Abu Dhabi utility Adwea seeks solar partner for 350 MW project

The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) has announced it is seeking bids for a 350-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) project to be built in Sweihan, about 120 kilometres east of the capital.

This would be the first such solar project carried out by Adwea. The selected developer would own up to 40 per cent of SPV, with Adwea taking the other 60%.

The facility, which would produce enough electricity to power more than 50,000 homes, would be structured as an independent power project with a power purchase agreement. According to the tender announcement, Adwea will “pay only for the net electrical energy supplied by the plant.”

Abu Dhabi is committed to producing 7 per cent of its total power from renewable energy sources by 2020, and the Sweihan project will be the first under the initiative.

Dubai's state utility company DEWA recently said that around twenty international consortia have submitted bids for the 800 MW Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum Solar Park Phase III. The tender for the project attracted solar heavyweights such as: Engie-Marubeni, SunEdison, ACWA Power, EDF-Nebras, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV)-Masdar, Al-Fanar-Building Energy, Jinko Solar-RWE, REC Solar-Viverdis, M+W & Stumpf Energy, Tetratech and Acciona-Swicorp.

Dolphin Energy, the company controlled by the Abu Dhabi government, that produces and transports natural gas to the UAE and Oman, recently secured a 15-year $863 million loan from banks, according to Abu Dhabi fund Mubadala.