The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced that construction of its pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta is 94.15% complete. Generator installations are currently underway, and a trial operation is set for the first quarter of 2025. The plant’s upper dam, featuring a 72m main wall and a 37m side dam, has also been fully filled as part of the final preparations.
Designed as an energy storage facility, the hydroelectric plant boasts a turnaround efficiency of 78.9%. It utilizes water stored in the upper dam, which flows through a 1.2km underground tunnel to generate electricity. To store energy, solar power from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back up to the upper dam, enabling efficient energy storage and use.
The facility is expected to have a production capacity of 250MW and a storage capacity of 1,500MWh, with an operational lifespan of up to 80 years. With a budget of AED 1.421 billion, this project marks the first hydroelectric plant of its kind in the Arabian Gulf region. Full completion is expected by the end of the second quarter of 2025.
The project is part of Hatta’s broader sustainable development initiative, which aims to create innovative job opportunities for Emiratis and support both the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050. Through this and similar projects, DEWA seeks to diversify Dubai’s energy mix with renewable and clean energy sources, including solar power and green hydrogen production.
