Kuwait to Inject $9.9B into Power Sector to Alleviate Electricity Shortages

Kuwait’s government in August approved the construction of several power plants and desalination facilities to boost its capacity by 3,580 MW.

Like its oil- and gas-rich neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, Kuwait is seeing a power shortage owing to its growing population and economy. With only five power plants, the country has experienced disruptive blackouts. This February, for example, a blackout shut off the lights in most of the country when a failed cable caused the 1.8-GW Subbiya plant to trip.

Plans approved in August include a second 1.8-GW phase for the gas-fired Az-Zour North integrated water and power plant; the first 1.5-GW phase of the oil- and gas-fired Khairan power plant; and the 280-MW Al Abdaliyah hybrid power plant, of which 60 MW will be from solar and the rest from gas. However, the government did not set a timeline for when the plants should come online.

Also like its neighbors, Kuwait is looking to boost its renewable capacity. To achieve targets to generate 15% of its energy by 2030 with solar, it will put up to 100 solar facilities online. Plans include completing a 70-MW solar project in the Shagaya desert zone west of Kuwait City by next year.

—Sonal Patel is a POWER associate editor.