According to Amac News: The announcement of this company states that this project, which is located in the Zarraf area in the Al-Dhafra area, is an important step in the transfer of the UAE's energy towards renewable sources.
According to the announcement, the Zarraf solar project will have an electricity generation capacity of 1,500 MW (AC), which is enough to power about 160,000 homes and can reduce up to 2.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
This project will realize 5% of the projected 36% reduction in EWEC emission intensity by 2030.
The Zarraf project will be EWEC and Abu Dhabi's fifth major advanced solar project, significantly contributing to EWEC's strategic plan to increase Abu Dhabi's solar power generation capacity to at least 10 GW (AC) by 2030.
By 2035, EWEC predicts that at least 18 GW of solar energy will be in operation, helping to meet the Abu Dhabi Energy Authority's clean energy strategic goal for electricity generation in Abu Dhabi. According to this goal, 60% of the total electricity demand of this emirate should be provided from renewable and clean sources.
Requests for proposals will be issued to companies that have passed the qualification process following the Expression of Interest (EOI) phase in October 2024.
Twenty companies and consortia expressed interest at this stage, while 16 companies and consortia were qualified for the RFP stage after submitting qualified statements.
The RFP provides detailed requirements and technical parameters of the proposed project to assist companies and consortia in developing their proposals.
Zarraf project will include the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the power plant and related infrastructure.
The successful developer or developer consortium will own up to 40% of the entity, while the remaining stake will be held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government.
The developer will sign a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with EWEC, which is the exclusive purchaser of electricity and water generation and capacity in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The contract will be designed as a power purchase agreement where EWEC will only pay for the net electrical energy supplied by the plant.
Responses to the RFP are due by the second quarter of 2025. EWEC will then hold a public event to acknowledge the companies and consortia that have submitted proposals.