Emirates Water & Electricity Company (EWEC), the water and electricity utility of UAE, has announced the award for the world’s largest solar power plant.
Consortium comprising TAQA, Masdar, EDF and JinkoPower sign PPA with EWEC for a 2 GW solar power plant.
The project was awarded to a consortium led by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) and Masdar, with partners EDF and JinkoPower, for the development of the 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar Photovoltaic independent power producer project.
The project will be located approximately 35 km from Abu Dhabi city. The project’s power purchase agreement and shareholders’ agreement were signed with EWEC.
The Al Dhafra Solar PV project is expected to provide approximately 160,000 households across the UAE with electricity.
The rigorous procurement process resulted in one of the most cost-competitive tariffs for solar PV energy, set at $1.35 cents/kWh) on a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) basis. Upon full commercial operation, the plant is expected to reduce Abu Dhabi’s CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tonnes per year, equivalent to removing approximately 470,000 cars from the road.
The Al Dhafra Solar PV project is expected to provide approximately 160,000 households across the UAE with electricity. It will be larger than TAQA’s existing 1.2 GW ‘Noor Abu Dhabi’ solar plant, which is currently the world’s largest operational single-project solar PV plant.
Once fully operational, the plant will increase Abu Dhabi’s solar power capacity to approximately 3.2 GW.
As far as ownership goes, 60 per cent will be owned by a consortium comprising TAQA and Masdar, while the remaining 40 per cent will be owned by EDF and JinkoPower. The project’s financial closure is expected to occur in Q3 2020, enabling initial power generation in H1 2022 and full generation by H2 2022. Once fully operational, the plant will increase Abu Dhabi’s solar power capacity to approximately 3.2 GW.
Featured photograph is for representation only. it gives an overview of Adani Group’s massive 780-mw Kamuthi solar PV project, spread over an area of 2,500 acres, in Tamil Nadu.