The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is looking at adding pumped hydro into its power mix, beginning with the Al Hattawi pumped storage plant, GlobalData reported.

The Al Hattawi project will be using and storing water from the Hatta Dam, which will be generating electricity at peak demand periods.

The country, which is highly reliant on thermal power for most of its electricity supply, is now aiming to raise the share of clean energy in its power mix to 30% by 2030.

“The largest source of clean energy opportunities is expected to emerge from the renewables sector, especially solar,” Attaurahanman Ojindaram Saibasan, Senior Power Analyst at GlobalData, said.

“Conditions in the UAE are ideal for solar power generation, and the government is assigning large swathes of barren land for solar parks (both photovoltaic and Concentrated Solar Power), which will help satisfy local demand as well as meet export requirements.”

UAE eyes generating 50% of its electricity from carbon-free sources, largely driven by solar, by 2050.

In line with this, Abu Dhabi plans to install 5.6 gigawatts of solar PV capacity by 2026; whilst Dubai wants 75% of its electricity generation to come from renewable sources by 2050.