Andritz has recently signed a contract with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to supply and commission the electro- and hydro-mechanical equipment for the Hatta Pumped Storage Power Plant in the Hajar Mountains.
Hatta will be the first project of its kind on the Arabian Peninsula. The concept is based on a shaft-type powerhouse close to the existing hydro reservoir, capable of providing 250 MW for six hours. Due to the limited reservoir capacity, the available head will vary significantly between 175 and 125 m during the cycle. To overcome this substantial variation in head but keep the units running at a high efficiency level over the complete cycle, both pump turbine units are equipped with double-fed asynchronous motor-generators, allowing the units to operate at variable speed.
Under a contract worth more than €100 million, Andritz will provide the equipment for two 125 MW Francis-type pump turbines with double-fed asynchronous generators and auxiliary systems, 320 m of penstocks, all gates and trashracks, main power transformers, main inlet valves, GIS switchyard, and high-voltage cables to connect the new power plant to the national grid.
Image credit: Andritz