ACWA Power,[1] the Arabian Company for Water and Power Development, is a subsidiary of ACWA Holding, itself a subsidiary of Al Muhaidib Group and Abdullah Abunayyan Group, two well-reputed and diversified Saudi business houses. Other shareholders in ACWA Power include the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which belongs to the World Bank Group, and the Saudi Public Pension Agency.[2]
ACWA Power was chosen to lead the Noor Laayoune and Noor Boujdour projects, two new renewable energy solar plants in Western Sahara, as a joint project with Chint Group of China. ACWA Power was tasked with designing, financing, constructing, and maintaining the plants.[3] Noor Laayoune has a maximum capacity of 80 MW, while Noor Boujdour has a maximum capacity of 20 MW. To carry out the Noor solar projects, ACWA Power chose India’s Sterling and Wilson as a subcontractor.[4] Sterling and Wilson is a leader in electrical, solar, and mechanical projects[5] and a subsidiary of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, an Indian business conglomerate, which purchased a 51 percent stake in the company.[6]
[1] ACWA Power, “About Us: Introduction,” http://www.acwapower.com/en/about-us/introduction/.
[2] ACWA Power, “Shareholders,” http://www.acwapower.com/en/stakeholder-relations/shareholders/.
[3] Tom Kenning, “ACWA Power and Chint Selected to Develop 170MW Solar in Morocco,” PVTech, November 16, 2016, http://www.pv-tech.org/news/acwa-power-and-chint-selected-to-develop-170mw-solar-in-morocco; Trade Arabia, “Acwa Chosen for New Solar Project in Morocco,” November 20, 2016, http://www.tradearabia.com/news/OGN_316944.html.
[4] Sterling & Wilson, Ltd., “Sterling and Wilson Wins EPC Contract for 170 MW Solar PV Project in Morocco,” 2016, http://sterlingandwilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Sterling%20and%20Wilson%20wins%20EPC%20Contract%20for%20170%20MW%20Solar%20PV%20Project%20in%20Morocco.pdf; Construction Week Online, “Sterling and Wilson Bags EPC Contract in Morocco,” November 24, 2016,
[5] Sterling & Wilson, Ltd., “About Us: Profile,” http://sterlingandwilson.com/about-us/profile/.
[6] Shapoorji Pallonji Group, “Sterling & Wilson,” http://www.shapoorjipallonji.in/sp/sterling-and-wilson-1.
