UAE tenders carbon-capture-ready power plant

15 August 2025

Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of the Al-Nouf independent power producer (IPP) project.

Al-Nouf will be the largest single-site, carbon-capture-ready combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant in the UAE. 

It will be located within the newly established Al-Nouf complex, a coastal site strategically designated to become a major hub for power and water production in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. 

The site has been carefully selected for its ability to accommodate both seawater-cooled power generation and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination technologies.

Ewec said the project will closely follow the model of Abu Dhabi’s successful IPP programme, in which developers enter into a long-term agreement with Ewec as the sole procurer. 

It will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the plant, with the successful developer or developer consortium owning up to 40% of the entity. The remaining equity will be held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government.

The advanced plant is designed to deliver greater efficiency, operational flexibility and lower emissions. It will enable the further integration of renewable and clean energy by primarily providing transitional capacity. 

It will also have the capacity to support multiple utility-scale energy and desalination projects in the future.

Expected to begin commercial operations in Q3 2029, Al-Nouf’s high-efficiency natural gas turbine technology will generate up to 3.3GW of electricity.

The RFP shared with bidders outlines comprehensive requirements and technical parameters, encouraging the integration of artificial intelligence, where relevant, to enhance plant performance, operational efficiency and predictive maintenance. 

The project is also expected to leverage technologies such as digital twinning and advanced monitoring systems to optimise lifecycle performance and system resilience. 

To ensure timely project development following the award, Ewec said it has proactively reserved gas turbines for the Al-Nouf project.

Responses to the RFP are expected by Q4 2025.

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Mark Dowdall
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