Abu Dhabi to invite bids for second solar plant mid-year

Second facility adds to $872 million first solar power plant, the world's largest, with capacity of 1,177 megawatts,

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - January 15th, 2018: ADWEA acting director general Dr Saif Al Seairi and Razan Al Mubarak, secretary general of Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi at ADWEA press conference. Monday, January 15th, 2018 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abu Dhabi is pushing ahead with a second solar power plant and will invite bidders by the middle of the year, a top official of the emirate's utility said on Monday.

"We plan to invite bidders by the middle of 2018. The capacity will be the same as the first solar plant, if not more," Saif Saleh Al Sayari, the acting director-general of Adwea said at a renewable energy summit in the capital.

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Last year the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea) closed a US$872 million financing package for its first solar power plant with capacity of 1,177 megawatts, the world's largest.

The first plant is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2019.

Details of the project will be announced in the coming months, Mr Al Sayari said.

Abu Dhabi aims to generate 7 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020.