No planned power cuts for Kuwait this summer, authorities assure

The Ministry of Electricity and Water has assured citizens that there will be no planned power cuts during the upcoming summer months. The ministry has also secured an additional 300 megawatts of electricity from Oman to meet the increased demand during peak periods.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Water and Renewable Energy, Eng. Maha Al-Assousi, emphasized that the ministry is well-prepared to handle the summer demand and that there will be no need for planned power cuts. She urged the public to practice energy conservation measures to further reduce the strain on the grid.

Al-Assousi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to collaborate on achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and increasing the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix to 30%. The MoU also includes the construction of a 1-gigawatt (GW) renewable energy power plant.

Key points of the agreement are as follows:

• Establishment of a 1-gigawatt renewable energy power plant
• Reduction in oil consumption and associated costs
• Lower carbon emissions
• Mitigation of electricity load on the national grid

The ministry is encouraging other companies to follow KOC’s lead in adopting renewable energy sources to help alleviate pressure on the grid. A feasibility study will be conducted for the 1-gigawatt power plant to assess its technical, financial,and legal aspects.

This agreement builds upon the existing partnership between the ministry and KOC, which includes the 10-megawatt SADRH 500 solar photovoltaic renewable energy project. The electricity generated from this project is fed into the national grid through a substation within KOC’s concession area, powering electric submersible pumps in the Umm Qadir oil field.

Commitment to environmental standards

KOC CEO Ahmed Al-Aidan emphasized the company’s commitment to environmental standards and international agreements in its pursuit of a low-carbon work environment. The company’s energy transition strategy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas operations and achieve net-zero emissions.

KOC has developed a roadmap for integrating renewable energy into its upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. This includes establishing renewable energy power plants, considering their economic feasibility, and connecting them to the grid. The company will also adopt the latest standards to enhance energy efficiency, adhering to the technical requirements and specifications set by the Ministry of Electricity and Water.