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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Chinese firm signs $3.3bn Kuwait wastewater deal29 July 2026
China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has confirmed it has signed a contract to build Kuwait’s largest wastewater treatment plant.
The North Kabd wastewater treatment plant and related works contract was signed on 26 July between senior officials from CSCEC and Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW).
The plant has a planned capacity of up to 1 million cubic metres a day (cm/d).
In January, MEED reported that the Chinese firm had been appointed as the main contractor for the project pending the contract’s official signing.
According to official government records at the time, the Central Agency for Public Tenders (Capt) had authorised MPW to proceed with a direct contract valued at KD999.85m ($3.3bn).
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Abu Dhabi tenders urban development consultancy deal29 July 2026

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has issued a tender inviting consultants to bid for an integrated consultancy services contract for upcoming works in the capital.
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Kuwait’s Combined Group Contracting has announced it has submitted the lowest bid for a contract to develop a major treated water system in the country’s southern region.
The contractor submitted a price of KD159.96m ($515m) for the scheme, according to a company disclosure dated 27 July.
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