Hatta hydroelectric power plant is 44% complete
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Director General of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), visited the pumped-storage hydropower plant under construction by DEWA in Hatta to review the progress of work. Construction of the plant is 44% complete. It is the first plant of its kind in the Gulf region with an investment of up to AED 1.421 billion.
The Hatta Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant is part of DEWA’s efforts to implement 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.
The plan includes the creation of a 5.4km long cable car and the Dubai Mountain Peak at 1,300m (Jebel Umm Al Nisoor peak), Hatta’s sustainable waterfalls to contribute to the overall development of the Hatta region and provide innovative employment opportunities for the people of Hatta. The DEWA projects will provide around 200 technical, administrative and operational jobs in Hatta. Another 300 jobs are expected to be created at the Visitor Centre, as well as other active recreation and tourism facilities associated with the project.
Al Tayer was accompanied by Nasser Lutah, executive vice president for generation at DEWA, Mansour Alsuwaidi, vice president for projects and engineering (generation), Khalifa Albedwawi, project manager, and the project team.
The hydropower plant is an energy storage facility that harnesses the potential energy of the water stored in the upper dam, which is converted into kinetic energy as the water moves through a 1.2km underground tunnel, and this kinetic energy rotates turbines and converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, which is routed to the DEWA grid. Then, to store energy again, the clean energy generated in Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s solar park is used to pump water through this tunnel back from the Hatta dam to the upper dam, converting electrical energy into kinetic energy and then finally storing it as potential energy in the upper dam. The power plant will have a turnover efficiency of 78.9% and respond to energy demand within 90 seconds.
Al Tayer said the Hatta hydroelectric plant was part of DEWA’s efforts to implement 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, to achieve the integrated and sustainable development and diversification of clean and renewable energy sources in Dubai to implement Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Clean Zero Carbon Strategy 2050 to ensure 100% of Dubai’s total energy capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. This includes all available technologies such as photovoltaic solar panels, concentrated solar power (CSP) and green hydrogen production using renewable energy sources. The hydropower plant is being constructed using the latest and safest drilling technology, suitable for the geological features of Hatta. The strictest international environmental standards are observed during construction to protect the Hatta Nature Reserve.
During his visit, Al Tayer was briefed by the project manager on the latest developments with the Dubai Mountain Peak and Hatta Sustainable Falls project, for which DEWA has submitted a bid. He was briefed on the work schedule, as well as the problems at the site and how to overcome them. Specialised international consultants were appointed to ensure that the project was carried out to the highest international quality, safety and security standards. Using state-of-the-art technology and taking into consideration the unique geology of the Hatta region, DEWA is implementing the Dubai Mountain Peak and Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls projects to the highest international environmental standards. The aim is to protect the Hatta Mountain Reserve and harmonise both projects with the surrounding area in the Hatta region. The projects will offer a unique experience for tourists in the UAE and showcase the beauty of the UAE’s mountainous areas.
.@DEWAOfficial's 250MW Hatta hydroelectric power plant is now 44% complete. This is the first station of its kind in the GCC with investments up to AED 1.421 billion. Once complete, the station will have a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours and a life span of up to 80 years pic.twitter.com/2eEEIcmS2l
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 6, 2022
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