Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that its 250-megawatt (MW) pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta is expected to start trial operations in the first quarter of 2025.

The DFM-listed utility said in a statement that the project, which is being built at a cost of 1.421 billion UAE dirhams ($387 million) is 94.15 percent complete, with the filling of the plant’s upper dam, which includes a 72-metre-high main wall and a 37-metre-high side dam completed, and generator installations underway for the trial operation.

The statement said the project is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2025. 

The hydroelectric power plant is designed as an energy storage facility with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9 percent, with a a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours (MWh), the statement noted.

DEWA had awarded the construction contract for the project to a consortium of Strabag AG, Strabag Dubai, Andritz Hydro, and Ozkar in 2019. The main consultant is EDF.

(Editing by Anoop Menon) (anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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