Abu Dhabi launches 3.3GW carbon‑capture‑ready Al Nouf CCGT RFP to fast‑track flexible capacity

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has kicked off a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Al Nouf IPP project, a move that underscores Abu Dhabi’s near‑term power planning. According to a government news release—one that’s been republished widely in industry outlets—Al Nouf is being tendered as a carbon‑capture‑ready combined‑cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant with up to 3.3 gigawatts of capacity, sited inside a newly designated Al Nouf Complex on Abu Dhabi’s coast.

EWEC presents the Al Nouf Complex as a purpose‑built energy and water hub. Honestly, the site has been chosen to host seawater‑cooled power generation alongside reverse‑osmosis desalination, and to provide space and infrastructure for additional utility‑scale projects in the future. The company says the plant will combine high efficiency, operational flexibility and lower emissions, and the RFP invites bidders to incorporate digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and advanced monitoring to improve performance and predictive maintenance.

The procurement follows the familiar Abu Dhabi IPP model under which EWEC acts as the single procurer. Industry reports note that project companies created for such tenders are typically co‑owned: winning developer consortia may take up to 40 per cent equity, while the balance of ownership remains indirectly held by the Abu Dhabi government. That structure has been used in recent EWEC procurements, including large solar and wind tenders, and is referenced in market coverage of the Al Nouf RFP.

EWEC has set a target for commercial operations in the third quarter of 2029, and the RFP timetable expects bidder responses in the fourth quarter of 2025. In a further sign of front‑loading the delivery timeline, EWEC says it has already reserved gas turbines for the project to enable faster mobilisation following award—an action the company argues will help meet future demand while maintaining system reliability. You see, speed matters here.

The “carbon‑capture‑ready” description is notable: it indicates the plant will be designed to allow future installation of carbon capture systems, rather than committing to immediate capture equipment. Industry commentary on similar projects emphasises this distinction, and cautions that retrofitability does not guarantee later installation unless accompanied by explicit policy, financing or off‑take arrangements for captured CO2.

Al Nouf is being positioned within a broader Abu Dhabi strategy to secure flexible, low‑emission firm capacity that can back up rising renewable output. EWEC’s remit and this strategic intent are set out on the company’s website and reiterated in sector reporting, which links new gas‑fired flexible plants to the integration of large‑scale renewables. Coverage of other EWEC tenders shows a consistent procurement pattern: pre‑qualified bidders receive detailed RFPs, long‑term power purchase agreements are signed with EWEC, and developer consortiums commonly take minority equity stakes in project companies.

For bidders the RFP carries technical and commercial requirements that reflect the project’s scale and the government’s long‑term decarbonisation goals. Beyond machine procurement and plant design, the tender explicitly invites proposals that harness AI and advanced digital tools to boost lifecycle performance and resilience—an emphasis consistent with market commentary highlighting increased adoption of digital solutions in new generation projects. Pretty handy, right?

Strategically, Al Nouf would become one of the largest single‑site gas‑fired plants in the UAE and a focal point for co‑located water production. Its coastal siting for seawater cooling and reverse‑osmosis desalination mirrors the integrated power‑and‑water approach increasingly favored in the emirate. If delivered to schedule, the plant would add large‑scale, dispatchable capacity at a time when Abu Dhabi is expanding renewables and pursuing net‑zero ambitions, while retaining the option to reduce operational emissions through future carbon‑capture deployment. Well, that balance could be pretty important.

The RFP opens a competitive phase that industry watchers will monitor closely. Responses are expected in Q4 2025, and the outcome will test the market’s appetite for large‑scale, retrofit‑ready thermal capacity paired with advanced digital and environmental design elements—a template that Abu Dhabi has used before but which now sits against heightened scrutiny over fossil‑fuel investments and the pace of decarbonisation. It’s pretty significant, isn’t it?

Source: Noah Wire Services