Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has announced that it has obtained approval to allocate four new sites covering an area of approximately 75 sq km of land to be turned into world-leading solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy developments.

Representing a major milestone in the acceleration of renewable energy deployment in the UAE, the landmark projects are set to deliver 4.5 GW (AC) of additional solar PV capacity and up to 140 MW of new wind capacity to Abu Dhabi.

Spanning four sites in Abu Dhabi, the land will feature three new solar PV plants located in Al Faya, Al Khazna, and Al Zarraf, and one new wind farm in Sila.

 According to Ewec, the solar PV projects will support its delivery of 10 GW of installed solar PV capacity by 2030 and 18 GW by 2035, thus contributing to collective efforts to achieve the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy’s (DoE) Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for electricity production in Abu Dhabi and UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative

Engineer Ahmed Mohamed Al Rumaithi, the Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi’s DoE), said: “Securing land for Ewec to accelerate the development of new world-leading renewable energy projects in Abu Dhabi is not just a step forward in our energy journey, but it also aligns with the DoE’s regulatory and policy framework,”

Ewec CEO Othman Al Ali said: “This land will facilitate the accelerated commissioning and development of world-leading renewable projects as we contribute to the realisation of the country’s sustainability objectives by supplying 60 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s power demand from renewable and clean energy sources.”