EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company), a leading company in the integrated coordination of planning, purchasing and supply of water and electricity across the UAE, invited developers and developer consortiums to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the development of an independent greenfield 400-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) power project.

EWEC will deploy BESS to provide additional flexibility to the system and ancillary services such as frequency response and voltage regulation. BESS technology will play a crucial role in EWEC’s strategic plan to diversify its portfolio of energy projects with a focus on sustainability, in addition to increasing its total solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity to 7.5 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. By implementing these critical strategic renewable energy projects, EWEC expects to reduce its average carbon dioxide intensity from power generation by approximately 42 per cent, from 330 kilogrammes per megawatt hour (kg/MWh) in 2019 to an estimated 190kg/MWh by 2030.

Othman Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC, said: “This project is a key part of our strategy to achieve the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 and supports the UAE’s wider sustainability and decarbonisation objectives. Importantly, it also actively enhances the reliability of the nation’s energy infrastructure. Compared to traditional grid storage solutions, BESS offers unmatched advantages, including increased flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and improved efficiency. EWEC continues to see BESS as a critical investment to manage system operability when large amounts of renewables are synchronised to the power system. We look forward to receiving EOI submissions from developers and developer consortiums to partner with us in accelerating the UAE’s energy transition.”

The project will closely follow the model of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s successful independent power project programme, where developers enter into a long-term agreement with EWEC as the sole procurer. The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of the BESS system and associated infrastructure.

EWEC invites developers or developer consortiums to submit an EOI by the deadline of 22 March 2024, at 12:00 noon Gulf Standard Time (GST), for the first stage of the tender process. Interested parties are requested to submit their EOI via electronic copy to: ewec.bess@ewec.ae.

Following a review of the EOIs, EWEC will issue the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to parties interested in proceeding to the next stage. The RFQ will provide additional details regarding the project, pre-qualification criteria and the bidding process.