Hatta hydroelectric plant now 44% complete

The pumped-storage hydroelectric power station being built by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in Hatta, and the first of its kind in the GCC, is now 44 per cent complete.

With a total investment of AED1.42 billion, once finished it will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours and a life span of up to 80 years.

The plant is part of DEWA’s efforts to achieve the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

It also supports the Hatta Development Plan launched by His Highness, with the building of a 5.4 km-long cable car route at an altitude of 1,300 metres (the summit of Jebel Umm Al Nisour), and Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls, which will contribute to the overall development of the Hatta region.

DEWA’s projects will provide around 200 technical, administrative and operational jobs in Hatta, with another 300 jobs expected to be created by the Visitor Centre and other outdoor activities and tourist facilities associated with the project.

His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, inspected the construction site and was briefed on the project’s progress. Work is currently underway on the 70-metre main dam wall - the station will use water in the Hatta Dam and an upper dam being built in the mountain. During the visit, Al Tayer also reviewed progress on the 1.2 kilometre subterranean tunnel, connecting the two dams.

Al Tayer noted that the plant is part of DEWA’s efforts to achieve the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, moving towards sustainable development and clean and renewable energy sources in Dubai as part of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, to provide 100 per cent of Dubai's total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. 

DEWA completes 44% of 250MW #Hatta hydroelectric power plant.#WamNews https://t.co/QxTpbr7jIM pic.twitter.com/qLN1AdotIn

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) June 6, 2022