EWEC announced today that it has granted the development of the 1.5-GW Al Ajban solar PV project to an international consortium comprising EDF Renewables, Korea Western Power Company (KOWEPO), and UAE-based Masdar as the local shareholder.
The selection came after a competitive process during which EWEC received bids from ACWA Power (TADAWUL:2082), EDF Renewables, Marubeni Corp (TYO:8002), and an alliance consisting of Jinko Power and JERA.
The winning consortium has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with EWEC, under which the UAE utility company will only pay for the net electrical energy supplied by the plant.
EDF and its partners will be responsible for the development, construction, and operation of the large-scale solar park, which is scheduled to become operational in the third quarter of 2026.
Situated in Al Ajban, 70 km northeast of Abu Dhabi, the large-scale plant is anticipated to provide power to 160,000 households across the UAE, leading to a reduction of 2.4 million metric tonnes per year in the emirate’s carbon emissions.
The deployment of solar energy is rapidly expanding in Abu Dhabi. The 2-GW Al Dhafra solar park was completed in late 2023, and there is an ongoing competitive process for another large project in the emirate – the 1.5 GW Al-Khazna solar park, which will be constructed in the Al Khazna area of Abu Dhabi.
By 2030, EWEC aims to have over 50% of Abu Dhabi’s electricity supplied from renewable and clean energy sources. Their latest projections indicate an addition of 1.4 GW of new solar PV annually from 2027 to 2037.
Source EDF-led
