Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is set to begin exporting clean energy from its innovative pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta next month.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, confirmed that the facility, which began operational tests in January 2025, will gradually start delivering electricity to Dubai’s grid in April. The hydroelectric plant is the first of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The project, which is 96.82% complete, harnesses water stored in the Hatta Dam and a newly constructed upper dam in the surrounding mountains to generate electricity. Once fully operational, 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. The AED 1.421 billion initiative is a key part of Dubai’s ongoing efforts to diversify its energy sources, blending renewable technologies to ensure a sustainable future.
Al Tayer emphasized that the project aligns with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to foster comprehensive and sustainable development across the emirate. It also supports both the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to achieve a 100% clean energy grid by mid-century.
“DEWA’s hydroelectric power plant is a critical step in diversifying Dubai’s energy production mix, which includes solar, concentrated solar power, and the production of green hydrogen,” Al Tayer said during a site inspection.
The plant’s design is optimized for energy storage, with an impressive turnaround efficiency of 78.9%. Water from the upper dam flows through a 1.2-kilometre subterranean tunnel to generate kinetic energy, which drives turbines to convert mechanical energy into electricity. This process allows the plant to deliver power to DEWA’s grid within 90 seconds, helping meet peak demand.
Energy stored at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back into the upper dam, facilitating the storage of renewable energy generated from solar power.
The ongoing work includes the final stages of construction, with generator installations now complete and preparations under way for the first trial operation later this quarter. The upper dam features a 72-metre-high main wall and a 37-metre-high side dam, which has already been filled in preparation for the upcoming trial.
Once fully operational, the Hatta plant will be a cornerstone of Dubai’s energy strategy, bolstering the emirate’s growing portfolio of sustainable energy projects.
