Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has shortlisted approximately five sites for the planned Shams 1 solar power project, according to a source close to the scheme.

The company will make a final selection by the end of the year, the source adds.

Masdar had originally planned to build the plant at Madinat Zayed in the west of the emirate, but will relocate it.

It is unclear whether the client will retender the contract, however. It had previously selected a team of Spain’s Abengoa Solar and France’s Total as the preferred bidder.

The developer will construct a 100MW solar power plant under a 25-year, build-own-operate (BOO) concession.

Bids for the scheme were first submitted in October 2008. The other bidders were Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power Projects with Spain’s Iberdrola; a German group of Man Ferrostaal and Solar Millennium; and Sener and Grupo Cobra, both Spanish.