Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) pumped-storage hydropower project at Hatta is now 74% complete.
The pumped-storage hydropower project will be the first of its kind in the Gulf region. The plant has a planned generation capacity of 250 MW and a storage capacity of 1,500 MWh, the facility is expected to have a life of 80 years. The total investment in the project is AED 1.421 billion ($368.8 million).
The DEWA pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant is expected to start operating in 2025.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), recently visited the site to assess the progress of the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant site.
During his visit to the construction site, Al Tayer received full updates on project progress, including 74% completion of the project, installation of power generators, ongoing construction of service and operational facilities, and completion of the upper dam water intake structure and associated bridges.
Construction of the 72 m (236 ft) upper dam’s main roller compacted concrete (RCC) wall has been completed, and preliminary measures are to start filling the upper dam by the end of the year. Additionally, Al Tayer reviewed progress on the 1.2 km (3937 ft) long water tunnel, which is currently being connected to the power generator.
The hydroelectric power plant is energy storage with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9% that uses stored water’s the potential energy in the upper dam, which is converted into kinetic energy during the water flow through a 1.2 km (3937 ft) underground tunnel. This kinetic energy turns the turbine and converts mechanical energy into electrical energy sent to the DEWA grid.
The clean energy generated at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is then used to pump water into the upper dam by converting electrical energy into kinetic energy through this tunnel to store energy again. It is then stored as potential energy in an upper dam 150 m (492 ft) above Hatta Dam. This makes the entire project 100% renewable.
The pumped-storage hydropower project at Hatta is part of DEWA’s efforts to achieve the vision and directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.
