Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announces in a statement that, it has launched a landmark clean energy partnership between the ADNOC and EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company).
The strategic partnership, which is the largest of its kind in the oil and gas industry, will see up to 100 per cent of ADNOC’s grid power supplied by EWEC’s nuclear and solar clean energy sources, making ADNOC the first major oil and gas company to decarbonise its power at scale through a clean power agreement and strengthening the company’s position as one of the world’s least carbon-intensive oil and gas producers.
Simultaneously, EWEC will benefit from long-term electricity offtake for its current and future renewable and clean power sources, which include solar and nuclear power, enabling continued investment in transformative innovations to decarbonise the energy sector.
The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and His Excellency Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of ADQ and Chairman of EWEC.
The clean energy partnership reinforces ADNOC’s role as a leading global supplier of lower carbon oil and gas products and builds on its legacy of responsible hydrocarbon production. Murban, ADNOC’s flagship crude grade, already has a carbon intensity that is less than half the industry average, a figure that will be further improved as a result of this agreement.
EWEC has a growing portfolio of renewable and clean energy projects, led by Noor Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest single-site solar power plant. Noor Abu Dhabi produces approximately 1.2 gigawatts of power resulting in a carbon footprint reduction of 1 million metric tons per year, which is equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road. EWEC is also developing the Al Dhafra Solar PV IPP project, which will be the new world’s largest single-site solar power plant, using approximately 4 million solar panels to generate enough electricity for approximately 160,000 homes across the UAE. Upon full commercial operation, Al Dhafra Solar PV is expected to reduce Abu Dhabi’s CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tons per year, equivalent to removing approximately 470,000 cars from the road.
In addition to developing world leading solar power projects, EWEC is supporting the integration of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant to the Abu Dhabi grid. Once all four nuclear reactors are fully operational, the Barakah Plant will prevent the release of up to 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, leading the biggest decarbonisation efforts in the region.
