Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced on Wednesday that the service tunnels for the 250-megwawatt (MW) pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Hatta have been completed.

This was disclosed in a press statement on the site visit by DEWA MD & CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer.

Each tunnel is 500 metres long, the statement said, adding that visit also included inspecting the construction works progress of the project's upper dam.

The hydroelectric power station will use water in the Hatta Dam and an upper reservoir that is being built in the mountain, the statement said. It said the project would have a total storage capacity of 1,500 MWh and a life span of 80 years.

Al Tayer said Hatta will become a clean energy exporter and promote Dubai's position as a global hub for clean energy and green economy.

"The pumped-storage hydroelectric power station, which is the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf region, reflects the directives of the wise leadership to protect natural resources and increase the share of clean and renewable energy," he said.

Al Tayer emphasised the importance of protecting the Hatta Natural Reserve, noting that the project uses the latest and safest drilling technologies to fit Hatta's geological features while following the highest international environmental standards. The project has so far completed more than 2,100,000 safe working hours without injuries.

The hydropower plant includes the use of advanced turbines to pump water from the dam to the upper reservoir during off-peak hours, according to the statement. Turbines operated by the speed of waterfall from the upper reservoir will be used to generate electricity through a 1.2-kilometre subterranean water canal, with high efficiency in power generation and storage, and with a 90-second response to demand for electricity.

DEWA had awarded the construction contract for the power station to a consortium that includes Strabag AG, Strabag Dubai, Andritz Hydro, and Ozkar. Électricité de France (EDF) is the consultant of the project, which is scheduled to be commissioned by February 2024.

(Writing by Syed Ameen Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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