DUBAI: DEWA has reported that its Hatta hydroelectric power plant is 94.15% complete. The project, designed as a pumped-storage facility, is currently installing generators, with a trial operation expected in early 2025.
The power plant utilises stored water in its upper dam, which now has a 72-metre-high main wall and a 37-metre-high side dam, both filled in preparation for operation. The hydroelectric system works by releasing water through a 1.2-kilometre underground tunnel, transforming potential energy into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy powers turbines, which in turn generate electricity to be fed into DEWA’s grid within 90 seconds of demand.
For energy storage, DEWA will use renewable power from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to pump water back to the upper dam. This process, which transforms electrical power into stored kinetic energy, ensures efficient energy reuse. The Hatta hydroelectric plant has an energy turnaround efficiency of 78.9%, a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), and can store 1,500 megawatt-hours. The facility is expected to operate for up to 80 years and is the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf, backed by an investment of AED 1.421 billion.
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Completion of the project is targeted for mid-2025 and aligns with Dubai’s strategic goals for sustainable development. It also creates job opportunities for Emiratis in the Hatta region, contributing to Dubai’s broader Clean Energy and Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050.
This initiative enhances DEWA’s clean energy portfolio, which includes solar photovoltaic panels, concentrated solar power, and renewable hydrogen production. Through projects like this, DEWA aims to diversify Dubai’s energy sources, support its sustainability goals, and pave the way for a cleaner, greener future in energy production.
