There are currently 401 active projects in the UAE’s utility sector, with an estimated value of $84 billion, said a report.  

The utilities sector constitutes four per cent of the number of active construction projects and 11 per cent of the total estimated value of ongoing construction, according to leading project tracker BNC.

The number of ongoing utility projects increased by two per cent in January compared to December 2016, even after considering the recent completion of 12 utility projects, that have a combined estimated value of around $87 million, stated BNC in its January 2017 Utilities Report.

BNC has identified four major utility projects with a combined estimated value of $175 million that were awarded in January. The largest of these was a district cooling plant worth $150 million for the National Food Products Company located at Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi, said the report.

In addition to the nuclear power plants, notable multi-billion-dollar utility projects under construction include Hassyan coal-fired power plants, an independent water and power plant (IWPP) at Mirfa and the Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.