Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has started the trial operation and export of electricity from its pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta to Dubai. The announcement was made by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, during a visit to the site where he reviewed the project’s final stages. During operational testing, the plant produced more than 17,921 megawatt-hours of energy.
The facility is designed with a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and an expected lifespan of up to 80 years. With peak electricity demand in Hatta at about 39 MW, excess power generated will be exported to Dubai.
Al Tayer was joined on his visit by Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at DEWA; Khalifa Al Bedwawi, Project Manager; and other project team members.
According to Al Tayer: “The project is in line with the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development across the Emirate of Dubai. It also supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to provide 100% of Dubai’s total energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050.”
During his inspection, Al Tayer toured key parts of the station including its building constructed 60 metres underground. He was briefed on two main water valves weighing around 110 tonnes each. He also visited the command and control centre where he observed an operational test involving water pumping and power generation. The tour included a look at the upper dam built as part of this project by DEWA. This dam covers a surface area of 210,000 square metres with two compressed concrete walls—a main wall standing at 72 metres high and stretching for 225 metres, alongside a side wall that is 37 metres high. The upper dam can store approximately 5.3 million cubic metres (1,166 million gallons) of water.
Al Tayer stated: “The hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, with an investment of approximately AED 1.42 billion, is part of DEWA’s efforts to diversify energy production from renewable and clean sources in Dubai. These include technologies such as solar photovoltaic panels, concentrated solar power and energy storage in batteries.”
The plant generates electricity using water stored between Hatta Dam and the upper dam with an efficiency rate near 78.9%. Water flows through a subterranean tunnel measuring about 1.2 kilometres long; as it moves downhill it turns turbines that convert mechanical into electrical energy for supply to DEWA’s grid within roughly ninety seconds when needed for demand response.
To store surplus energy produced during periods when demand is low or renewable output is high—such as from solar facilities like Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park—the system uses clean electricity to pump water back up into the upper reservoir.
