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The Taweelah power station complex is located approximately 50km to the north east of the City of Abu Dhabi, 10km off the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, and approximately half way between the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It is situated on a projection of land jutting into the sea and allows intake and discharge of large volumes of seawater. The president of the U.A.E, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , selected the site personally in 1981. The site has been developed for the installation of 3,000 MW of power and 300 MIGD of water.Scope of Work:
 
  • PROJECT OVERVIEW
  • PRIVATISATION INITIATIVE AND GOALS

In connection with the July 17, 1999 request for proposals issued by the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (“ADWEA”), the consortium of Total Fina Elf S.A. and Tractebel S.A., was selected by ADWEA to implement the Taweelah A1 Generation and Desalination Project in Abu Dhabi. The scope of the Project included, among other things:

  • the formation of Gulf Total Tractebel Power Company (the “A1 Project Company”) which is owned indirectly by ADWEA (6%), Taqa (54%), Total Fina Elf (20%) and Tractebel (20%);
  • the purchase by the A1 Project Company of the existing Taweelah A1 gas-fired electricity and desalination plant with a gross capacity of 255 MW and 29.2 MIGD (the “Existing Plant”);
  • the refurbishment, rehabilitation, upgrading, extension, testing and recommissioning of the Existing Plant (the “Plant Extension” and, together with the Existing Plant, the “A1 Plant”) to a total net capacity of 1,350 MW and 84 MIGD;
  • the construction of two new access roads to the jetty (the “New A1 Shared Facilities”); and,
  • the operation and maintenance of the A1 Plant and sale of the A1 Plant’s electrical capacity and output and water desalination capacity and output to Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (“ADWEC”) for a period extending to 20 years after the Project Commercial Operation Date (the “PCOD”).

Construction of the Plant Extension and operation of the A1 Plant is being carried out by the Turnkey Contractor and the O&M Contractor (as defined below) owned and supported by the International Sponsors on a 50%/50% several basis. The technology employed by the Project is General Electric (“GE”) 9E gas turbines for power generation and Sidem’s MED units for seawater desalination. Babcock Borsig Power, the original contractor and maintenance provider for the Existing Plant, and Sidem, the provider of the desalination technology for the Existing Plant, have been retained as primary sub-contractors by the Turnkey Contractor for construction of the power and desalination aspects of the Plant Extension. GE has been retained as a primary sub-contractor for the long-term maintenance of the gas turbines.
The total projected financing requirements for the Project are US$ 1,473 million.

The Project is one of the first steps in the privatisation of Abu Dhabi’s power and water industry and an important part of the Government’s strategy to achieve the objectives of Abu Dhabi's overall privatisation initiative. Together with the recent successful financial closing of the Taweelah A2 project, the Project acts as a model for the privatisation of other assets within Abu Dhabi’s power and water sector and, more generally, for privatisation within the UAE and Gulf region.

The decree of the Crown Prince and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council forming the PCWES explicitly mentioned the following five objectives of the privatisation programme:

  • ensuring the security of water and power supply;

  • improving economic efficiency and the level of service;

  • promoting both local and foreign private sector investment and participation;

  • creating employment and training opportunities for UAE nationals; and

  • maximising revenues from asset sales.

Foreign companies have been encouraged to participate in the privatisation process and local private sector participation will be encouraged through initial public offerings on the local stock exchange or private placements.


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