Dubai's Dh1.4-billion hydroelectric power plant now 94% complete; trial to begin in 2025

The construction of Dubai's hydroelectric power plant in Hatta is nearing completion and a trial run will be carried out in the first quarter of 2025, it was announced on Tuesday.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) said the pumped-storage hydropower plant is 94.15 per cent done, with generator installations under way in preparation for the testing. The filling of the plant’s upper dam — which includes a 72-metre-high main wall and a 37-metre-high side dam — has also been completed.

Built with an investment of Dh1.421 billion, the plant will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours and a lifespan of up to 80 years. It is the first project of its kind in the Arabian Gulf region. It is expected to be fully completed by the end of the second quarter of 2025.

How it works

The hydroelectric power plant is designed as an energy storage facility with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9 per cent.

It uses the potential energy of water stored in the upper dam, converting it into kinetic energy as the water flows through a 1.2km subterranean tunnel. This kinetic energy rotates the turbines, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, which can be delivered to Dewa’s grid within 90 seconds to meet demand.

To store energy, clean power generated at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back to the upper dam, converting electrical power into kinetic energy during the process.

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