A consortium led by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) has been awarded the 2.6 gigawatt Taweelah C independent power producer (IPP) project, one of the emirate's largest new power developments. Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), the sole procurer of water and electricity in Abu Dhabi, signed the project's power purchase agreement, which runs through to 2050.
The consortium includes Saudi Arabia's Aljomaih Energy and Water Company and Singapore's Sembcorp Industries, pairing TAQA's domestic scale with two experienced international developers.
Ownership and operations
TAQA will hold a 60 per cent stake in the project company, with the international partners taking the remaining 40 per cent. The split is reversed for the operations and maintenance company, where the international consortium holds 60 per cent and TAQA 40 per cent.
The plant will be powered by H-class gas turbines supplied by Siemens Energy — among the most efficient heavy-duty turbines available — and has been designed to allow the future addition of carbon-capture technology. It is expected to begin commercial operations in the third quarter of 2028.
Firming up the grid
Taweelah C adds firm, dispatchable capacity to Abu Dhabi's grid at a time when EWEC is rapidly scaling up solar generation and battery storage. Gas-fired plants of this kind provide the steady baseload and flexible backup that complement intermittent renewables, helping keep supply reliable as demand climbs.
That demand is rising on several fronts: population growth, industrial expansion and a wave of energy-hungry data-centre investment tied to the UAE's artificial-intelligence ambitions. EWEC has been procuring both renewable and gas-fired capacity in parallel, and the award of Taweelah C signals continued appetite for large, long-term generation contracts. The structure — a build-own-operate IPP backed by a multi-decade purchase agreement — is the model Abu Dhabi has used to attract private and international capital into its power sector while keeping tariffs competitive.