Four bidders for UAE carbon capture power project

Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has received four bids for the development of Al Nouf 1, the UAE’s largest single-site carbon-capture-ready power plant.

The bids were submitted by consortia led by Saudi Arabia’s Aljomaih Energy and Water Company, France’s Engie, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, the state-run Wam news agency reported.

In December Ewec issued a request for proposals for the development of the power plant.

Al Nouf 1 will be built within the newly established Al Nouf Complex, located in a coastal site in southwest Abu Dhabi. It will generate up to 3.3 gigawatts of electricity.  

The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the plant, with the winner owning up to 40 percent of the special purpose vehicle. The remaining equity in the vehicle will be held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government.

Ewec CEO Ahmed Ali Alshamsi said flexible, high-efficiency gas-fired plants such as Al Nouf 1 will be critical to ensuring power supply security and transforming the energy sector into a renewable, clean-focused industry. 

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Al Nouf 1 is a key component of Ewec’s long-term strategy to deliver an efficient and decarbonised energy system in line with the UAE’s energy strategy 2050. The power plant is anticipated to achieve commercial operations in the third quarter of 2029.

Ewec will now undertake the technical and commercial evaluation process of the received proposals, the statement said. 

No financial details or timeline for the contract award were provided.