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Abu Dhabi reaches Shuweihat 1 plant conversion deal

29 April 2025

Abu Dhabi state offtaker and utility Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) has signed a new power purchase agreement (PPA) for the conversion of the existing Shuweihat 1 (S1) independent water and power project (IWPP) into an independent power plant (IPP).

Under the new PPA, S1 will be converted to a natural gas-fired open-cycle power plant only, providing up to 1.1GW of "flexible" reserve supply for 15 years, with commercial operations beginning from 2027, Ewec said.

It added: "S1 will be reconfigured from a cogeneration power and water desalination facility to a power plant only, providing flexible reserve supply to support the increased integration of renewable and clean energy sources."

MEED reported in June 2023 that Ewec intended to seek interest from developers for the potential conversion or extension of the S1 IWPP as well as another plant, Taweelah A1.

A team of France's Engie and Japan's Sumitomo won the contract to develop the S1 IWPP in 2001. The project reached commercial operations in 2004 under a 20-year PPA.

Engie and Sumitomo each own a 20% interest in Shuweihat CMS International, the project company, while Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) owns 60%.

The plant's desalination units ran on multi-stage flash and multi-effect distillation technologies.

Mohamed Al-Marzooqi, Ewec's chief asset development and management officer, said: “By strategically reconfiguring this power plant we are maximising the efficient use of existing infrastructure to deliver a reliable, flexible power supply while reducing carbon emissions associated with the project."

He added that using natural gas as a "flexible transition fuel" enables the accelerated integration of renewable and clean energy projects, such as solar and wind, into the energy mix, and preserves resources.

Located approximately 250 kilometres southwest of the city of Abu Dhabi, the Shuweihat IWPP features a 1,500MW combined-cycle power plant, a 120-million-gallon-a-day desalination plant, 220 kilovolt (kV) and 400 kV power substations and a 188-million-gallon-a-day water pumping station.

At the time of commissioning in 2024, the plant was the largest IWPP ever procured.

Germany's Siemens Energy executed the $895m power generation package and Italy's Fisia Italimpianti undertook the $500m contract for the plant's desalination package 24 years ago.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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