Dubai will begin receiving electricity generated from water in Hatta starting April 2025, marking a first for the emirate, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, stated in a Gulf News report that the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta has started operational tests as of January 2025 and will gradually supply clean energy to Dubai by April. The plant, the first of its kind in the GCC, is 96.82% complete.
The facility harnesses water from the Hatta Dam and a newly built upper reservoir in the mountains to generate power. It boasts a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW) and can store up to 1,500 megawatt-hours of energy. With an investment of AED 1.421 billion, the plant is expected to have a lifespan of up to 80 years.
Al Tayer emphasized that the project aligns with Dubai’s sustainability goals, supporting the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050. These initiatives aim to transition Dubai’s power production to 100% clean energy by 2050.
During a recent site visit, Al Tayer inspected the facility’s progress, including the installation of generators and the filling of the upper dam. Trial operations are set to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
The hydroelectric plant will store energy by using solar-generated electricity from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to pump water back to the upper dam, later releasing it to generate power when needed. The system is designed for high efficiency, delivering electricity to DEWA’s grid within 90 seconds.
Al Tayer reiterated DEWA’s commitment to diversifying Dubai’s clean energy sources, integrating technologies such as solar power, green hydrogen production, and hydroelectric energy.
