Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that its pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta will begin exporting clean energy to Dubai in April this year. This announcement was made by His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, during an inspection visit to review the progress on the power plant, the first of its kind in the GCC region.
The plant, which is 96.82 % complete, has a production capacity of 250 megawatts and a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours with a lifespan of up to 80 years.
The plant uses water from the Hatta Dam and a newly built upper dam to generate electricity. It will play a crucial role in Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to provide 100% clean energy by 2050.
The hydroelectric plant acts as an energy storage facility with 78.9% turnaround efficiency. It stores excess power generated by solar energy from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, using it to pump water back to the upper dam, ensuring efficient and reliable clean energy supply.
With construction nearly complete, the plant has already begun operational testing, and a trial run is scheduled for first quarter of 2025. This project reinforces Dubai’s leadership in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure.