Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) has invited contractors to submit expressions of interest (EOI) in participating in the tender for its proposed 250MW pumped-storage hydroelectric project.

Contractors have been invited to prequalify for the 250MW hydropower project, which will be located in the northern area of Dubai. Dewa has set a submission date of 16 November for contractors to submit EOIs. Following the finalisation of the prequalification process, the client will issue tender documents for an EPC contract to build the plant.

In June, Dewa awarded a AED58m ($15.8m) contract to France’s EDF to provide consultancy services for the pumped-storage project, which will be the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf.

The project will use water stored in the Hatta Dam, near the Oman border, and will be the first hydroelectric facility in the GCC.

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 300 metres above the dam level.

During off-peak hours, turbines will use solar energy to pump water from the dam to the upper reservoir.

The project will support the AED1.3bn ($354m) Hatta development plan, which was announced earlier in November. Under the plan, three main areas, including an economic and service zone, tourism and sports zone and a culture and education area, will be built in the Hatta area.

The Hatta development plan is part of the UAE’s 2021 Vision, launched in 2014.