Engie and Masdar win mega solar power plant project in Abu Dhabi

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has contracted the two companies to develop a 1,5 GW power plant, with nearly three million photovoltaic panels, and signed power purchase agreements with them, the company said in a statement.

Once completed, the Khazna Solar PV project will generate electricity for 160.000 homes in the Gulf emirate and avoid more than 2,4 million tons of carbon emissions per year, she added, without giving a timeline.

The project is part of EWEC's strategy to increase Abu Dhabi's solar capacity to 18 GW by 2035, with the goal of meeting 60% of the emirate's energy needs with clean energy, according to the same source.

The United Arab Emirates is one of the world's leading oil exporters, but it is investing heavily in renewable energy, both domestically and abroad, through the Masdar company.

Engie Deputy CEO Paulo Almirante, quoted in the press release, stressed that the Khazna plant will be "the largest photovoltaic installation" of the French group worldwide.

According to the press release, the financial closure of the project is expected "by the end of the fourth quarter of 2025."