< Previous29MW Wärtsilä power plant brings reliable electricity supply to Iraqi port operations Tony Hanna, General Manager, BUTEC and Pierpaolo Mazza, Regional Director, Wärtsilä Energy Business, signed the order for a 29 MW power plant to Umm Qasr Ports Authority Zone in Basra, Iraq in 2018 Tony Hanna, General Manager, BUTEC and Pierpaolo Mazza, Regional Director, Wärtsilä Energy Business, signed the order for a 29 MW power plant to Umm Qasr Ports Authority Zone in Basra, Iraq in 2018 A 29 MW gas-fuelled power plant supplied by the technol- ogy group Wärtsilä to the Umm Qasr Ports Authority Zone in Basra, Iraq, commenced com- mercial operations in Febru- ary. The plant ensures avail- ability of a reliable supply of electricity to the port’s oper- ations, which had previously been subject to frequent power interruptions. The Wärtsilä plant was ordered in October 2018 by Lebanon- based Butec, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider for the proj- ect. Butec was contracted by Prime Metro Power Holdings (PMPH), the company having a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the General Com- pany for the Ports of Iraq, an Iraqi Ministry of Transport entity. Wärtsilä delivered the plant on a fast-track basis, and the project was completed in a short period of time. work-based qualifi cation that tests candidates on their knowledge and skills for technical and profes- sional work-related activities. The programme will be spon- sored by Madayn and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). Set to be hosted at the Oman Technology Institute (OTI), the fi rst batch of apprentices have been chosen following a rigorous selec- tion process to ensure they had the right foundation to fl ourish within Oman’s desalination and sustain- Oman to boost desalination skills through training Veolia, Sembcorp Salalah, Sohar Operation Services to build specialised talent for Oman’s water industry France-headquartered resource management specialist, Veolia, has joined forces with Oman’s Sembcorp Salalah Power and Water Company, and Sohar Opera- tion Services, to launch an appren- ticeship initiative aimed at elevat- ing the quality of talent entering Oman’s desalination sector. The nine-month programme will include theoretical learning within a classroom environment as well as on-the-job training for Omani mechanical and electrical engi- neering graduates from the Sultan Qaboos University and the Salalah Technology College. The apprenticeship programme is certifi ed by the Ministry of Man- power in Oman and is based upon the National Vocational Qualifi ca- tion (NVQ) Level 4, which is UK’s Desalination Renewables IRENA invites RE developers to register projects IRENA calls upon renewable energy project developers to register suitable projects via a purpose-built portal A landmark initiative launched by a coalition of intergovernmen- tal partners during the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019, has now entered its operational phase. The International Renewable Energy Agency’s, IRENA, contri- bution to the Climate Investment Platform, developed in response to country needs to mobilise low-car- bon, climate-resilient investments, now calls renewable energy proj- ect developers to register suitable projects via a purpose-built portal organised around 14 regional clus- ters. The announcement follows the opening of registrations for fi nan- ability market. Upon successful completion of the programme, candidates are likely to be immediately recruited by companies in the sultanate’s water sector. Commenting on the initiative, Veolia’s Oman CEO, Erwan Rouxel, said: “We are proud to announce the launch of our new apprentice- ship programme. This project will not only accelerate the quality of talent entering Oman’s desali- nation market, but will also raise the country’s profi le as a regional leader for sustainability.” Sembcorp Salalah CEO, Humaid Al-Amri, said: “we con- tinue to equip our people with spe- cialised skills. We are honoured to play an active role to grow young talent.” initiative. “Unlocking the fi nance needed to accelerate the global energy transformation towards climate and sustainable development goals is well recognised as being key to success,” said IRENA Direc- tor-General Francesco La Camera. cial institutions, multilateral devel- opment banks and development agencies which took place during the launch of the initiative. Oppor- tunities for fi nancial partners to join the initiative remains open. IRENA, together with its part- ners, SEforAll, UNDP and in collab- oration with Green Climate Fund launched the Climate Investment Platform with an aim to increase the fl ow of capital to developing countries and scale up renewable energy project development. Since then, a number of fi nan- cial institutions with growing inter- est in advancing the energy trans- formation in developing countries have registered as partners of the NEWS 10 Utilities Middle East / April 2020 www.utilities-me.comwww.utilities-me.com April 2020 / Utilities Middle East 11 NEWS ANALYSIS PROSPECTS FOR RENEWABLE DESALINATION IN THE GCC Renewable energy is gaining popularity within the region sweat- er desalination sector as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emir- ates announce large scale solar powered desalination projects Opportunities in Water Management on the Rise due to the Pressure on Natural Water Resources because of Increasing Global Population and Imbalance in Demand and Supply. Globally, more than 2 billion people are living in areas with acute water stress or scar- city. Water use has grown at more than twice the global growth rate for population since 1900. The present and future availability of ade- quate fresh water supplies across the globe is at risk and the defi cit of surface and groundwa- ter resources will further intensify the current water scarcity situation. As of 2019, 17 countries in the world are reported to be experiencing “extremely high levels of baseline water stress.” 12 out of the 17 countries are in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region; Qatar tops the list of 17 countries with Kuwait at the 7th place followed by Saudi Arabia ranked 8th. The other 3 GCC countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman also make it to the list. This situation is expected to only worsen in 12 Utilities Middle East / April 2020 www.utilities-me.com NEWS ANALYSIS the next 10 years, as the GCC countries move forward on economic diversifi cation agen- das. In this context, fi nding a reliable alterna- tive source of water supply and addressing the growing requirement is the need of the hour. Desalination is Globally Preferred to close the Demand Supply Gap In this context of limited availability of usable water as a natural resource, desalination and water reuse technologies are increasingly becoming the go-to solutions for addressing water scarcity. Within these solutions, Desali- nation technologies have attained widespread acceptance – which is illustrated in the extent to which these have been implemented - Desal- ination capacity additions have witnessed an annual average growth of 8% per year in the past 10 years, reaching an installed capacity of 97.4 million cubic meters per day globally (2018). Currently, of the installed 19,744 desalination plants, approximately 16,000 are in operation and produce around 93 million cubic meters per day of fresh water which can be consumed by over 300 million people across the world. The global capacity for desalination is expected to double by 2030 and is forecast to cross 200 million cubic meters per day. Desalination technology has achieved a pre- ferred status by allowing countries to tap into non-traditional water resources to provide drought-proof supply of fresh water at large vol- umes, and with high levels of effi ciencies. Many highly concentrated urban areas are near to coastlines, and have limitless access to ocean water – this has been a driving factor for increas- ing adoption of desalination technology. Desalination Serves around 50% of the Water Demand in the GCC Desalination is providing water source in arid places such as MENA and this region accounts for 47% of the total global installed capacity. The GCC is in the process of shifting gears to swiftly change its path of economic growth to sustainability. Fresh water has been tradition- ally scarce in the region, and the situation is fur- ther aggravated by rapid economic develop- ment, population growth, urbanisation, scanty rainfall, high evaporation rates and insuffi cient renewable water resources. These factors have stimulated the growth of Desalination in the GCC. There are multiple thermal desalination technologies existing globally. Of these, Multi- Stage Flash (MSF) has been typically preferred in the GCC during the 2000’s owing to effi ciency in dealing with higher levels of water salinity. Thermal desalination technologies consume high levels of thermal and electrical energy and subsidised energy costs supported the growth of MSF technology in the GCC. However, Desalination does not come with- out its share of problems. The desalination www.utilities-me.com April 2020 / Utilities Middle East 13 NEWS ANALYSIS process consumes signifi cantly higher energy than conventional water treatment and water re-use technologies. Resultantly, the growth of desalination plants in the GCC has had a serious impact on its energy resources, creating a water energy nexus. Visible Shift from Thermal to Membrane Desalination in the GCC in the Last Decade In the initial years membrane desalination was challenged by high CAPEX costs in the GCC. Proven reliability of thermal technologies and the expertise gained by developing and operat- ing large thermal plants too hindered the pene- tration of membrane desalination. But innova- tions in pre-treatment, fi lter design and energy recovery have reduced high pre-treatment costs and energy consumption. These developments, combined with improvements in operational effi ciency, have reduced the cost of desalination water by mem- brane technology. These factors led to the growth of RO desalination systems in the GCC countries. As a result, while thermal technologies accounted for 60% of the total desalination capacity in the GCC during 2000 – 2009, they have gradually reduced to only 18% by end of 2016. Of the 61 plants in the ‘under construction’ and ‘planned’ stages since 2016, only 1 project is being developed with Multiple-eff ect distilla- tion (MED) technology in the GCC . The shift from thermal to membranes is pro- viding substantial energy savings, consum- ing around 5% of the total energy as compared to thermal technologies. Though this clear technology shift would result in energy savings, the energy demand is forecast to grow in pro- portion to the high growth forecast for desalina- tion plants in the GCC. Rising energy demand in the GCC can expose the countries to issues related to resources shar- ing, energy insecurity and restrict economic growth. Acting on this, the GCC countries have framed policies to promote demand side energy management and investments in renewable energy technologies. As desalination would be the mainstay water supply source in spite of sustainable measures such as wastewater recycling and re-use, energy effi ciency measures and usage of renewables targeting desalination is imperative. Solar Desalination is Preferred for its Reli- ability and Cost Eff ectiveness Desalination can be coupled with renewable sources such as solar, wind etc. for energy effi - ciency. Solar energy is gaining popularity due to its abundant availability and it is also evenly spread over the entire region. The recent suc- cess of Masdar’s Renewable Energy Desalina- tion Pilot Program in Ghantoot is expected to speed up the commercialisation of utility/ large scale projects. The Ghantoot pilot project achieved energy effi ciency improvements of up to 75% through the 4-year program compared with thermal desalination technologies in the UAE. The major challenge in commercialising large scale plants today is reducing the depen- dence on grid power as back-up when there is insuffi cient solar energy. The GCC has seen increasing project awards for desalination using renewable resources. In February, NEOM, the fl agship project of Saudi Arabia’s post-oil diversifi cation plan, announced that it will adopt pioneering solar technology to produce low cost, environmen- tally friendly water to strengthen NEOM’s rep- utation as an emerging hub for innovation and conservation. NEOM, the Saudi Arabian ‘giga-project’ is being built on a 26,500 km2 area in the North- Western corner of the Kingdom along the bor- ders of Egypt and Jordan. The aims of NEOM to become a major loca- tion for sporting events moved forward with the hosting of its fi rst offi cially-endorsed inter- national events in July last year including the IWWF NEOM Wakeboard event, a FIFA- endorsed Beach Soccer Cup tournament with teams from Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, Eng- land, Oman and the UAE and exhibition Beach Rugby matches with players from Saudi Arabia and an all-female set of match offi cials, plus a Beach Tennis invitation event starring male and female players from the region. NEOM signed an agreement with U.K.-based Solar Water Plc. to build the fi rst ever “solar dome” desalination plants with the pilot project aiming to revolutionise the water desalination process, helping solve one of the world’s most pressing problems – access to fresh water. Work on the fi rst “solar dome” is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. NEOM states that at an estimated US$0.34/metre3, the cost 14 Utilities Middle East / April 2020 www.utilities-me.com NEWS ANALYSIS of producing water via “solar dome” technol- ogy will be signifi cantly lower than desalination plants using reverse osmosis methods. The technology will also signifi cantly reduce the impact on the environment by producing more concentrated brine, a potentially harmful byproduct of the water extraction process. “NEOM’s adoption of this pilot supports Saudi Arabia’s sustainability goals, as outlined in the country’s National Water Strategy 2030, and is fully aligned with the sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations,” says Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman Al-Fadli. Last year, DEWA said it had received 5 bids for an advisory services tender for a 120 MIGD (mil- lion imperial gallons per day) water desalina- tion project in Hassyan. The plant is expected to come into operation in 2023. This is the fi rst project to use the Independent Water Producer (IWP) model in Dubai. The proj- ect will use Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO). DEWA received 5 bids from Cranmore Part- ners from the UAE and UK; Synergy from India and the USA; Deloitte from the USA; Pricewater- houseCoopers from the UK, and Ernst & Young from the UK. DEWA’s studies proved the technical and economic feasibility of replacing Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) desalination technology with solar- powered reverse osmosis using cheap clean energy. “DEWA intends to desalinate all its water powered by a mix of clean energy that uses envi- ronmentally sustainable energy by 2030. This means Dubai will exceed global targets for using clean energy to desalinate water,” says Jamal Shaheen Al Hammadi, Vice President – Clean Energy & Diversifi cation Business Development & Excellence at DEWA. The emirate depends on desalination for its potable water, with a water production capacity www.utilities-me.com April 2020 / Utilities Middle East 15 NEWS ANALYSIS of 470 million gallons per day (MIGD). But the process is highly energy intensive and often seen as ineffi cient by conservationists. By using lower cost renewable energy to power desalination plants, Dubai’s main utility will save $13bn between now and 2030. “Dubai is pushing for increased effi ciency in the production of water. We are already in the fi nal stages of a large scale integration of renew- able energy in its water production processes,” says Al Hammadi. “Photovoltaic reverse osmosis will now become the new trend as we aim for 100% renewable energy desalination in Dubai. This supports our eff orts to boost water production in the emirate.” In 2014, Abu Dhabi renewable energy com- pany, Masdar, awarded Degrémont, then a sub- sidiary of Suez Environment, a contract to build a desalination pilot plant in Abu Dhabi powered 100% by renewable energy and with the most energy-effi cient processes. Similar contracts were concurrently awarded to three other companies, Abengoa, Sidem/Veolia and Trevi Systems, with the pilots running from April 2014 through July 2016, after which, winners would be selected to move on to install a full-scale desalination plant. In 2016, Suez launched its pilot 100 cubic meters per day reverse osmosis (RO) desalina- tion plant in Ghantoot, Abu Dhabi, that show- cases newer solutions to optimise energy at every stage of the water desalination process. The new technologies were expected to lay the ground for the implementation of cost- competitive large-scale seawater desalination plants powered by renewable energy in the UAE and beyond. “The plant has been successfully tested to run 100% on solar power. This is an important step towards achieving our goals and a major breakthrough in the region’s desalination,” 16 Utilities Middle East / April 2020 www.utilities-me.com NEWS ANALYSIS according to an executive from Suez. “There is no longer any doubt we can now run a desalination plant on solar power. Our next step now is to take these fi ndings and apply them to industrial scale desalination. “I am very optimistic that in the next eigh- teen months we will have solar panels powering large scale desalination plants because we have tried it and it will work.” The International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated energy requirements of desalination in the Middle East, ranging from a low of 2.4% in Algeria to a high of 23.9% in UAE. In the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, desalination and electricity genera- tion alone currently requires burning approxi- mately 1.5 barrels per day of crude equivalent. In 2018, King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) awarded a contract to develop a solar based desalination plant of capacity 30,000 cubic meter per day, and expandable to 60,000 cubic meters per day. Kuwait Institute for Scientifi c Research in early 2019 stated plans to launch desalination plants with solar energy in the north of Kuwait Bay. The trend is similar for other GCC countries as well as in the North African countries, to whose water supply portfolios desalination con- tributes a signifi cant share. Dubai expects more than 8% of its total power output to be generated from clean energy by next year, exceeding the earlier set target of 7%. This projection is based on the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to generate 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. In 2018, King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) awarded a contract to develop a solar based desalination plant of capacity 30,000 cubic meter per day, and expandable to 60,000 cubic meters per day. Kuwait Institute for Scientifi c Research in early 2019 stated plans to launch desalination plants with solar energy in the north of Kuwait Bay. Utilising renewable energy for desalination looks promising and would reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions. When proven successful for large capaci- ties, the GCC region would be the trend-setter in renewable desalination and might exceed global target of 20% of new plants powered by renewables between 2020 and 2025.www.utilities-me.com April 2020 / Utilities Middle East 17 COMMENTARY SAUDI ARABIA HAS POTENTIAL TO BE HUB FOR GREEN FINANCE FOR EMERGING MARKETS Much of the expenditure in renewables over the next 20 years will be in emerging markets and so Saudi Arabia should concentrate on creating a centre for green fi nance for emerging markets, says Michael Hayes, Global Head of Renewables, KPMG International Saudi Arabia can become the centre for green fi nance for emerging markets, which will bring huge economic and commercial benefi ts to the economy in line with the Vision 2030 program, according to Michael Hayes, Global Head of Renewables, KPMG International. The amount of capital required to support the energy transition is vast and it is for this reason that a whole new sector called green fi nance has emerged in recent years delivering new products such as green bonds and green insurance. Much of the expenditure in renew- ables over the next 20 years will be in emerging markets and so Saudi Arabia should concentrate on creating a centre for green fi nance for emerg- ing markets. The Saudi government intends to attract between $30 billion and $50 billion in new investments into renewables by 2030, as it plans to tender around 9.5GW of solar and wind capac- ities by 2023. Furthermore, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) predicts that nearly $148 billion will be required each year until 2050 to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and The Middle East, like the rest of the world, understands the existentialist threat that cli- mate change poses and therefore the necessary actions to move to a zero-carbon economy are fully recognised throughout the region. Climate change is now recognised as the most signifi cant risk on the planet and is likely to dominate the political and economic landscape for many years to come. While there are many diff erent ways to help in the fi ght against climate change, transitioning from conventional power usage to renewable power is still one of the best and most eff ective solutions available. The Middle Eastern countries are well aware of their strong dependence on fossil fuels to drive economic growth. Therefore, in an era when the long term viability of fossil fuels is under question, it is critical that these econo- mies diversify as soon as possible. Unlike fossil fuels, the reality is that renew- ables can be implemented in every single part of the world and therefore there is nowhere near as much reliance on physical location and the secu- rity of supply is less of an issue. Renewable generation represents an ideal way to do this and over time, I expect to see Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries take a leading role in the growth of renewable energy across the region and even into Sub-Sahara Africa. Investors including private equity funds who seek mid-teen returns on equity, are plough- ing money into renewable projects since such investments eliminate key risks over a long number of years such as availability of long-term contracted revenues and investors relying on a stable policy environment. The successful operation of existing wind farms has also given investors huge confi dence in the long term stability of the sector. MICHAEL HAYES Global Head of Re- newables, KPMG International limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Given these investment projections, Hayes believes it is an absolute necessity for GCC gov- ernments to invest in renewables, which is one of the key goals of governmental visions across the GCC.ACWA Power in $2.5bn deals to boost Uzbekistan’s energy ACWA POWER HYDROGEN ACWA Power has announced the signing of three new strategic agreements, potentially worth up to $2.5bn, with The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan to amplify power gener- ation and develop technical expertise. The agreements include a 25-year Power Pur- chase Agreement (PPA) and Investment Agree- ment – with a total investment value of US$1.2 bil- lion - for the development/construction/opera- tion of a 1500 MW Combined Cycle Gas-Turbine (CCGT) power plant The deal also includes an Implementation Agreement worth US$550 million-US$1.1 bil- lion for the building of wind power plants with a capacity of 500-1000 MW It also includes a Memorandum of Under- standing (MOU) for the development of a training centre to enhance technical skills of Uzbek stu- dents and professionals The 1500 MW CCGT power plant shall con- tribute to Uzbekistan’s fast track ambitious plan to attract foreign direct investment in essential key sectors and the implementation of its energy diversifi cation strategy. The project will be located in Shirin City in the Sirdarya region and will be developed as a ‘Build, Own, Operate, Transfer’ projects. ACWA Power will take the lead in constructing, engineering, operating and maintaining the plant. The project has an estimated aggregate worth of US$1.2 billion. The PPA has a 25-year duration, with JSC National Electric Grids of Uzbekistan acting as the sole off -taker. The CCGT plant’s effi ciency rate will be in excess of 60% - saving almost twice the natural gas currently used for electricity production. THE LATEST NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW ON THE GCC & IRAQ TENDERS, CONTRACT WINS AND PROJECTS UNDERWAY Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has secured an order for the fi rst advanced-class gas turbines designed to transition to renewable hydrogen fuel from Utah’s state-owned Inter- mountain Power Agency (IPA). MHPS’s Lake Mary, Florida–based subsidiary MHPS Americas (MHPSA) on March 10 said that the contract for two M501JAC power trains are the fi rst in the industry “specifi cally designed and purchased as part of a comprehensive plan to sequentially tran- sition from coal, to natural gas and fi nally to renew- able hydrogen fuel, and creates a roadmap for the global industry to follow.” The advanced J-series turbines will be installed at the 1,800-MW Intermountain Power Project (IPP) in Millard County, which lies in the Great Basin region of western Utah. IPA, which was established in 1977 under state Agreements include a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for a 1500 MW Combined Cycle Gas-Turbine (CCGT) power plant FH2R can produce as much as 1,200 Nm3 of hydrogen per hour (rated power operation) using renewable energy. Renewable energy output is subject to large fl uc- tuations, so FH2R will adjust to supply and demand in the power grid in order to maximize utilization of this energy while establishing low-cost, Green hydro- gen production technology. Hydrogen produced at FH2R will also be used to power stationary hydrogen fuel cell systems and to provide for the mobility devices, fuel cell cars and buses, and more. Hydrogen, a concentrated energy source that can be stored for long periods of time and transported over long distances, has emerged as the fuel of choice for a wide variety of applications including cogenera- tion in fuel cell batteries, and for fuel cell vehicles and is expected to be completely CO2 free. Hydrogen plant Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) in Japan, which had been under construc- law and today comprises 23 Utah electric utility– owning municipalities, owns that plant’s two exist- ing 1986-completed coal-fi red units. The units transmit 75% of their power through high-voltage lines to California (mainly to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power [LADWP]) under power sales contracts that are set to expire in June 2027. The two new gas turbines will add an 840-MW facility to the site that IPA will own. Contracts MHPS bags order for hydrogen gas turbine FH2R The advanced J-series turbines will be installed at the 1,800-MW Intermountain Power Project (IPP) in U.S. 18 Utilities Middle East / April 2020 www.utilities-me.comLargest solar plant on a construction site in the world launched COVID-19 Abu Dhabi’s 1.5GW solar project bid opening delayed due to COVID-19 Bidders have been notifi ed that the bid opening excercise is postponed due to the need to avoid public gatherings as a result of coronavirus Six Construct - the Middle East subsidiary of the Belgian Construction giant BESIX, known for bringing to life iconic and landmark proj- ects such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Brothers Theme Park, Burj Khalifa and many more, was awarded the contract for building the Uptown Tower in the Uptown Dubai dis- trict planned by DMCC (Dubai Multi Commod- ities Centre). The tower will stand at 340 meters tall and will be host to an exclusive mix of international Grade A offi ces, 5-star hotel and associated branded res- idences. Six Construct along with other contractors in the UAE rely solely on diesel generators for pow- ering their construction activities which are very expensive to operate and emit harmful carbon emissions along with a certain degree of noise pol- lution. In collaboration with Enerwhere, Six Construct has been able to reduce their carbon footprint by over 50% and their operation costs by 20% across their construction sites in the UAE by introducing power management and renewable energy into their power generation mix. The Uptown Tower construction site which is powered by Enerwhere’s stand-alone solar-die- sel-hybrid microgrid comprises of 500 kWp of solar and relies on technology, engineering, and data analysis to deliver clean, renewable and reli- able power to site including site offi ce, site utilities and heavy applications such as tower cranes, man hoists and pumps from a centralized power gen- eration hub. SOLAR received bids for the independent power pro- ducer (IPP) project that will be constructed in the UAE capital’s Al Dhafra region, and will cover an area spanning approximately 20km2. Ewec director of privatisation directorate Adel al-Saeedi said in January that Ewec intends to sign the power-purchase agreement (PPA) for the proj- ect with the successful bidder in the fi rst quarter of 2020 and reach fi nancial close in the second quarter. Bidders submitted revised proposals on 1 March. The fi ve bidders that submitted the orig- inal proposals in November are: Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia), Engie (France), Jinko Solar (China) / EDF (France), Marubeni ( Japan) / Total (France) and Softbank Energy ( Japan) / Eni (Italy) It is understood the project client opened the commercial bids in December. The success- ful developer will form a special-purpose vehi- cle (SPV) company in partnership with Ewec. The developer consortium will own up to 40 per cent of the SPV. The project will involve the fi nancing, construction, operation and maintenance of the solar plant under a 30-year PPA. The planned public opening of commercial tariff s for the planned 1.5GW Al-Dhafra photo- voltaic (PV) solar project has been postponed due to the precautions being undertaken for the corona virus covid-19. Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) was preparing to open proposals during a public read-out on 18 March. However, bidders have been notifi ed that this has been postponed due to the requirement to avoid public gatherings as a result of corona virus, according to sources close to the project, accord- ing to Energy & Utilities. In November, EWEC, which is a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (ADPower) Saudi headquartered ACWA Power has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct preliminary and feasibility studies for a series of water desalination projects in Egypt. The projects will be powered by solar and wind, or a combination of both renewable energy sources. Upon completion, the studies will be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities and Egyptian Electricity Holding Company. “ACWA Power is delighted to support the ambition of Egypt to leverage renewable energy sources available to also decarbonise and reduce the cost of much needed desalinated water all the while ensuring the availability of adequate pota- ble water to ensure the wellbeing of the people The 540 KWp solar system will power DMCC’s Uptown Tower construction in Dubai ACWA Power will develop projects that will be powered by solar and wind, or a combination of both renewable energy sources Acwa to develop Egypt’s desal sector DESALINATION and the expansion of economic activity,” said Paddy Padmanathan, Chief Executive Offi cer of ACWA Power. “As we continue to expand our investments in the country, the execution of this MoU also signi- fi es the trust being placed on us by the Govern- ment of Egypt.” CONTRACTS www.utilities-me.com April 2020 / Utilities Middle East 19Next >