Dubai Hydroelectric Plant on Track for 2025 Completion

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has announced that more than 70% of the work has been completed on its pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in the Hatta region and it is on track for completion in Q1 of 2025. Once operational, it will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and a life span of up to 80 years, said a statement from Dewa.

The Hydroelectric power plant is an energy storage with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9% that utilizes the potential energy of the water stored in the upper dam, which is converted to kinetic energy during the flow of water through the 1.2-km subterranean tunnel, it stated. This kinetic energy rotates the turbine and converts mechanical energy to electrical energy sent to the DEWA grid, it added.

This is the first station in the GCC region, with investments of up to AED1.42 billion (US$386.60 million), said its MD and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer. He was speaking after an inspection tour of the plant site in Hatta where he witnessed the assembly of generators and the ongoing construction of service and operational facilities.

Furthermore, the visit encompassed an examination of the upper dam, where the water upper intake structure and the associated bridge have been successfully completed, said the statement from Dewa. Also the construction of the 72-m main Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) wall of the upper dam has been completed, and preliminary measures are to commence filling the upper dam by the end of the year, it added.