Electricity Ministry boosts water reserves, reviews employee shift system
As the electricity load index continues to climb toward the 9,000-megawatt mark, the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy announced that water production exceeded consumption on Tuesday and Wednesday. This comes after several days of higher consumption levels, marking a notable improvement in the balance between supply and demand.
The ministry reported a recorded production rate of 458 million gallons, surpassing consumption by approximately 16 million gallons. This surplus is expected to contribute to strengthening the strategic water reserve in the coming period.
The latest report revealed that the strategic water reserve capacity has reached 2,493 million gallons, marking a recovery after a significant decline. This drop was previously caused by the shutdown of multiple distillers at the Shuaiba North, Subiya, and Al-Zour South stations due to technical issues.
Following the ministry’s successful restart of these distilleries, production rates have surpassed consumption, allowing the surplus to be directed toward groundwater reservoirs to strengthen the strategic water reserve. Additionally, the ministry has managed to maintain around 60 percent of the total distilleries included in the annual maintenance program.
Separately, the Ministry of Electricity, led by Undersecretary Dr. Adel Al-Zamil and several ministry officials, will take part in the regular meetings of the Gulf Electricity Interconnection Authority on Thursday. The discussions will focus on reviewing the latest updates concerning the authority’s operations and ongoing initiatives.
Electricity Sectors Determine their Shift Hours
Sources within the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy disclosed that most sectors have finalized employee work shift schedules and submitted them to Undersecretary Dr. Adel Al-Zamil. However, two sectors have yet to complete the scheduling process for their workers.
Sources added that Undersecretary Al-Zamil has instructed all ministry sectors to identify the organizational units operating on a shift system and specify the employees working in those units. This will enable the Administrative Affairs Sector to integrate them into the ministry’s systems. They also noted that the Ministry’s Workers’ Union remains committed to maintaining the current shift system, considering it the most suitable for all employees. However, if the proposed changes continue to face rejection from the relevant authorities, an alternative option being considered is a 24-hour work shift followed by 48 hours of rest.
Source: Al Rai
