emirates7 - Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), announced the start of trial operations and electricity export from the Hatta pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant to Dubai.
The announcement came during his inspection of the project’s final implementation stages, where the station had already generated over 17,921 megawatt-hours during operational testing. Once fully operational, the plant will provide a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and a lifespan of up to 80 years. With Hatta’s peak electricity demand at about 39 MW, the excess output will be directed to Dubai.
Al Tayer was joined on the visit by Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at DEWA; Project Manager Khalifa Al Bedwawi; and the project team. He emphasized that the project aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainable development, and supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, both of which aim to generate 100% of Dubai’s energy from clean sources by 2050.
During the tour, Al Tayer visited the underground power generation station, built 60 metres below ground, and reviewed the operation of two massive water valves, each weighing around 110 tonnes. He also inspected the control centre and observed an operational test of water pumping and power generation.
The visit included the upper dam, constructed by DEWA with a surface area of 210,000 square metres and a capacity of 5.3 million cubic metres (1,166 million gallons) of water. The dam consists of two compressed concrete walls: a main wall measuring 72 metres high and 225 metres long, and a side wall 37 metres high.
Al Tayer noted that the AED 1.42 billion project is part of DEWA’s broader strategy to diversify Dubai’s renewable energy mix, which already includes solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, and battery storage technologies.
The hydroelectric plant works by using water stored in the Hatta Dam and the upper dam with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9%. Water flows through a 1.2-kilometre underground tunnel, converting potential energy into kinetic energy to drive turbines that generate electricity. The system can supply DEWA’s grid with power in just 90 seconds when demand rises.
To replenish the upper dam, clean electricity from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back up, storing energy by transforming electrical power into kinetic energy.
The announcement came during his inspection of the project’s final implementation stages, where the station had already generated over 17,921 megawatt-hours during operational testing. Once fully operational, the plant will provide a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and a lifespan of up to 80 years. With Hatta’s peak electricity demand at about 39 MW, the excess output will be directed to Dubai.
Al Tayer was joined on the visit by Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at DEWA; Project Manager Khalifa Al Bedwawi; and the project team. He emphasized that the project aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainable development, and supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, both of which aim to generate 100% of Dubai’s energy from clean sources by 2050.
During the tour, Al Tayer visited the underground power generation station, built 60 metres below ground, and reviewed the operation of two massive water valves, each weighing around 110 tonnes. He also inspected the control centre and observed an operational test of water pumping and power generation.
The visit included the upper dam, constructed by DEWA with a surface area of 210,000 square metres and a capacity of 5.3 million cubic metres (1,166 million gallons) of water. The dam consists of two compressed concrete walls: a main wall measuring 72 metres high and 225 metres long, and a side wall 37 metres high.
Al Tayer noted that the AED 1.42 billion project is part of DEWA’s broader strategy to diversify Dubai’s renewable energy mix, which already includes solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, and battery storage technologies.
The hydroelectric plant works by using water stored in the Hatta Dam and the upper dam with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9%. Water flows through a 1.2-kilometre underground tunnel, converting potential energy into kinetic energy to drive turbines that generate electricity. The system can supply DEWA’s grid with power in just 90 seconds when demand rises.
To replenish the upper dam, clean electricity from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back up, storing energy by transforming electrical power into kinetic energy.