Bidders to submit revised proposals for 1.5GW Abu Dhabi solar project

Bidders vying for the contract to develop the 1.5GW Al-Dhafra solar independent power producer (IPP) project in Abu Dhabi have been asked by the client to resubmit proposals by 1 March.

According to sources close to the project, the proposals will include significant additional information and clarifications for the planned Al-Dhafra IPP, the emirate’s second major photovoltaic (PV) solar project.

Energy & Utilities reported in January that the client was holding clarification meetings with bidders for the planned 1.5Gw photovoltaic (PV) solar project, having received bids from five bidding consortiums on 21 November.

According to sources close to the project, the client is planning to announce the tariff and select the preferred bidder in mid-March.

The client received bids from the following five groups:

 Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia)/ Shanghai Electric (China)

 EDF (France)/ Jinko Power (China)

Engie (France)/ AlFanar (Saudi Arabia)

Softbank Energy (Japan)/ Eni (Italy)

 Total (France)/ Marubeni (Japan)


The project will involve the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the solar plant under a long-term power purchase agreement. The successful developer will form a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) company in partnership with Ewec. The successful developer will own up to 40 per cent of the SPV, with the Abu Dhabi government to hold the remaining 60 per cent stake.

The project will be Abu Dhabi’s second major PV solar scheme.

In February 2017, the emirate awarded a contract to a consortium led by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and China’s Jinko Solar to develop a 1,177MW PV solar IPP at Sweihan, the world’s largest single-site solar project. The Sweihan IPP was fully commissioned in June 2019.