EDF, KOWEPO Clinch 1.5-GW Al Zarraf Solar Deal

• EDF Power Solutions and Korea Western Power will finance, build and own up to 40 % of Abu Dhabi’s 1.5-GW Al Zarraf solar PV IPP, the emirate’s fifth world-scale project under EWEC.

A Franco-Korean consortium has taken pole position in Abu Dhabi’s latest gigawatt-scale solar tender after EDF Power Solutions and Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for the 1.5-GW Al Zarraf Solar PV Independent Power Producer (IPP) during the World Utilities Congress 2025. The green-field plant will rise in the Al Dhafra region and is slated to become the emirate’s fifth utility-scale solar project backed by the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).

Under the tender rules the developers will own up to 40 % of the project company, with the remaining equity held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government; a long-term power-purchase agreement will see EWEC pay only for net electricity delivered.

Crowded bidding route. EWEC launched the process with a request for proposals in January 2025 following an expression-of-interest round that attracted 20 would-be bidders; 16 consortia were ultimately prequalified, highlighting sustained global appetite for the UAE’s well-structured IPP model.

Decarbonisation impact. Once commissioned—market observers expect commercial operation before 2030—the single-site plant should generate enough power for about 160,000 homes and offset 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. That would deliver roughly five percent of EWEC’s targeted 36 % reduction in the grid’s carbon-intensity by 2030 while pushing Abu Dhabi toward its goal of 10 GWac of solar capacity by the end of the decade.

Al Zarraf will be built with bifacial modules mounted on single-axis trackers—now standard on the emirate’s mega-projects Sweihan (1 GW), Al Dhafra (2 GW) and Al Ajban (1.5 GW). The latest win further cements the EDF-KOWEPO partnership: the duo reached financial close alongside Masdar on Al Ajban last year and submitted the lowest tariff in March 2025 for the forthcoming 1.5-GW Al Khazna PV IPP.

Next steps. Financial close is pencilled in for late 2026, with full-scale construction to follow almost immediately. Early site-works will focus on leveling desert terrain and installing tracker foundations ahead of the summer heat. Industry analysts note that Abu Dhabi’s proven tender formula—record-low tariffs, sovereign-backed offtake and clear land allocation—continues to pull heavyweight developers even as global financing costs rise.

For EDF and KOWEPO, Al Zarraf offers another high-visibility platform in the Gulf while supporting the UAE’s Net-Zero 2050 strategy. For EWEC, it marks yet another step in converting the emirate’s boundless sunshine into a reliable, low-cost power backbone for decades to come.