The Fujairah F3 is a 2.4GW gas-fired combined-cycle power plant being developed within the Fujairah water and electricity complex at Ras Al Qidfa, Al-Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It is being developed as an integrated power producer (IPP) project by F3 Holding Company, which is a consortium formed by Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (ADPower, 60%) and Japan’s Marubeni Corporation (40%) in February 2020.

The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the project was also awarded in the same month.

Scheduled for commissioning in 2023, the Fujairah F3 IPP project will be UAE’s biggest independent thermal power plant that can generate enough electricity for approximately 380,000 households in the northern region of the country.

Location and site details

The Fujairah F3 IPP facility is being built on a site between the existing Fujairah F1 and Fujairah F2 water and power production plants, within the Fujairah water and electricity generation complex.

The Fujairah water and electricity generation complex is located approximately 24km away from the Fujairah city and approximately 300km northeast of Abu Dhabi, on the coast of the Gulf of Oman.

Fujairah F3 IPP project development

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), a subsidiary of ADPower received six bids for the Fujairah F3 IPP project in October 2019.

The ADPower and Marubeni consortium was awarded the contract to finance, build and operate the 2.4GW facility in February 2020.

The development partners also signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the Fujairah F3 power plant with EWEC in the same month.

Construction of the project is expected to be started in 2020, while the plant is expected to start generating power in 2022.

ADPower offered to transfer most of its water and electricity assets in the country including the Fujairah F3 project to Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) in exchange for shares in February 2029.

Subject to approvals by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and TAQA shareholders, the asset swap deal will make ADPower a 98.6% shareholder of TAQA.

Contractors involved with the Fujairah F3 power project

South Korea’s Samsung Construction & Trading (C&T) was awarded an EPC contract worth £750m ($977m) for the 2.4GW Fujairah F3 combined-cycle power plant in February 2020.

Fujairah F1 and F2 water and power plants details

The Fujairah F1 water and power plant has been operational since 2004. The facility comprises an 893MW combined-cycle power plant and a seawater desalination facility of 130 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) capacity.

The Fujairah F1 integrated power and water production facility is owned and operated by Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company (ESC), a joint venture of TAQA (54%), Sembcorp (40%) and Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (ADWEC, 6%).

The Fujairah F2 water and power facility that came online in 2011 has 2GW of net generating capacity and 130MIGD of net water capacity.

The Fujairah F2 facility consists of three combined-cycle units equipped with a total of five GE GT26 gas turbines, three steam turbines and associated heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs).

The Fujairah F2 plant is owned by the Fujairah Asia Power Company (FAPCo), in which ADWEC and TAQA jointly hold a 60% equity interest, while Marubeni and Engie hold a 20% stake each.

The Fujairah F2 facility is operated by Fujairah F2 O & M Company, a joint venture between Marubeni (50%) and Engie (50%).