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Ewec rules out solar in desalination projects

29 March 2023

Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) has ruled out integrating a captive solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in upcoming seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) independent power projects (IPPs) in the emirate.

Its executive director for strategy and planning, Bruce Smith, recently confirmed this to MEED, citing better cost efficiencies when procuring solar PV IPPs separately.

The world’s largest RO-based desalination plant in Taweelah is nearing completion. The 200 million-imperial-gallon-a-day SWRO plant includes a 40MW captive solar PV plant. Half of the plant’s capacity began commercial operation in June last year.  

Ewec’s next two independent water projects (IWPs), Mirfa 2 and Shuweihat 4, do not prescribe captive solar PV.

1GW a year 

Abu Dhabi aims to install a total of 16GW of solar PV capacity by 2036, translating to an average of 1GW to 1.5GW of new capacity to be procured annually.

Over the intervening period ending in 2030, Ewec envisages having an additional 5GW of solar capacity to reach a total solar installed capacity of 7.3GW by 2030.

The planned capacity aligns with the state utility’s carbon dioxide emissions reduction plan during this period, which includes potentially expanding its nuclear power capacity and deploying carbon capture technologies for its existing thermal power generation assets.

Smith said Ewec expects its first battery energy storage system to come online in the late 2020s to enable optimum use of renewable energy captured during daytime at times when the solar PV fleets do not produce energy.

Ewec aims to reduce its total carbon dioxide emissions from 43 million tonnes a year (t/y) in 2019 to 22 million t/y by 2035.

Ewec expects to achieve a substantial emissions reduction despite a projected 30 per cent increase in peak demand between 2022 and 2029 and 50 per cent between 2022 and 2050.

Ewec recently announced the company’s latest Statement of Future Capacity Requirements Summary Report covering 2023 to 2029.

The annual document outlines the required additional power and water production capacity in the emirate over a seven-year window based on expected macroeconomic developments and the retirement of existing fleets.

New capacity

The bidding process is under way for the 1.5GW Al-Ajban solar PV project, with Ewec expecting to receive proposals by June.

It recently awarded the contract to develop the 120MIGD Mirfa 2 IWP to France’s Engie. The contract to develop the 70MIGD Shuweihat 4 IWP is expected to be awarded to South Korean/Spanish company GS Inima imminently.

Ewec has recently sought transaction advisers for its first battery energy storage system (bess) project, which consists of two 150MW facilities.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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