Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea) intends to issue a request for qualification (RFQ) to developers to build the emirate’s next independent water and power project (IWPP) before the summer. It will invite bids by the end of the year.

Abu Dhabi’s Executive Council approved plans to develop the project at Mirfa at its meeting on 18 April (MEED 23:4:12). The IWPP will be developed at Mirfa and have a capacity of about 1,500-1,600MW of power and 60 million gallons per day (g/d) of water.

Adwea plans to approach financial, technical and legal advisers for proposals within weeks. According to Adwea, it intends to push through the tender for the project as new power and water capacity is needed to meet growing demand.

Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (Adwec) expects demand for power to increase by 11.3 per cent a year between 2011 and 2015 and by 13.6 per cent a year once electricity exports are included.

The increase will be driven primarily by the anticipated increase in power needs from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and electricity exports to the UAE’s northern emirates, which will together account for two-thirds of demand growth up to 2015. Abu Dhabi’s water needs are also growing and is expected to double between 2011 and 2030. Abu Dhabi’s previous power project was Shuweihat S3 (MEED 20:5:11). Unlike Shuweihat S3 project, the Mirfa facility will have a desalination component.

Adwea had been considering a site at Taweelah and another in the UAE’s northern emirates for its next IWPP, before settling on Mirfa.