The Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) has reported that work on the Hatta pumped hydro storage project in Dubai emirate, the first hydroelectric power project in the GCC, is progressing as per schedule.
According to Dewa, service tunnels for project have been completed, with construction work underway on the upper dam. Dewa awarded the $391m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project to a consortium of Austria’s Strabag, Andritz Hydro and Oskar in 2019. France’s EDF is the engineering consultant for the project, which is on schedule to be commissioned by February 2024.
The progress was revealed following a visit to the site from Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa.
The hydro project will use water stored in the Hatta Dam, near the Oman border. The existing Hatta Dam can store up to 1,716 million gallons of water. The project will involve the construction of an upper reservoir, which will be able to hold up to 880 million gallons. The upper reservoir will be located 300m above the dam level.