Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has started trial operations of its pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, marking a major milestone in the UAE’s clean energy drive.
The project has already exported more than 17,900 megawatt-hours of electricity to Dubai during testing.
With a production capacity of 250 megawatts and a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, the AED 1.42 billion facility is designed to operate for up to 80 years. Hatta’s peak electricity demand stands at just 39 megawatts, meaning surplus power generated will be channelled to Dubai’s grid.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, announced the development during a site visit, where he reviewed progress in the final stages of construction. He emphasised the project’s alignment with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which target 100% clean energy production by mid-century.
The plant, built 60 metres underground, uses water stored in the Hatta Dam and an upper dam with a 5.3 million cubic metre capacity. Through a 1.2-kilometre tunnel, water flows to generate electricity within 90 seconds, ensuring rapid supply to meet demand. Energy from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will also be used to pump water back to the upper dam, enhancing storage and efficiency.
Al Tayer described the project as a strategic step in diversifying Dubai’s renewable energy sources, alongside solar and battery storage technologies.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
