Abu Dhabi has awarded a consortium of Japan's Marubeni Corporation and China's JinkoSolar Holding Co the contract to develop a solar photovoltaic power project in the emirate, which when completed would be the largest solar power plant in the Middle East.
A statement posted on Marubeni's website on Wednesday said that under the contract signed with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (ADWEC), a special purpose company owned by Marubeni (20 percent), JinkoSolar (20 percent) and ADWEC (60 percent) would be set up to build, own, operate and maintain the 1,177 MWdc plant in Sweihan area under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
"Under this contract, all generated power will be sold to ADWEC which is wholly owned by the government entity, ADWEA. Construction is expected to be completed in April 2019 and will be funded by international project finance lenders," the statement said.
It did not give the value of the contract but said the project "is one of the largest and most competitive PV power projects in the world and the first renewable project for ADWEA and ADWEC…"
Last September, the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported that Marubeni and Jinko submitted the lowest bid for the Sweihan project, which at that time had a tendered capacity of 350 MW. It said the consortium submitted a bid of 2.42 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) while the second lowest bidder was a consortium led by Abu Dhabi's Masdar with 2.54 cents per kWh.
In June 2016, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the main utility provider in Dubai emirate, had awarded a consortium of Masdar, Spain's FRV (Fotowatio Renewable Ventures) and Gransolar Group the contract for the third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to install 800 MW at a tariff of 2.99 U.S. cents per kWh.
Marubeni currently owns and operates four thermal independent power and water projects (IWPP) in the United Arab Emirates — Taweelah B IWPP, Fujairah F2 IWPP, Taweelah A2 IWPP and Shuweihat S2 IWPP.
Zawya
01 March
