Kuwait makes great progress in soil cleaning project worth $3.5 billion
Kuwait has made great progress in implementing the oil-contaminated soil rehabilitation project, which is the largest environmental rehabilitation project in the world, and it is expected to be completed according to the specified timetable, as the project aims to treat more than 8.5 million tons of contaminated soil resulting from the Iraqi invasion. The massive project’s total cost is estimated at 3.5 billion dollars.
As reported by the Arabic daily Al Anba, the head of the environmental projects team, Muthanna Al-Moumen, said in statements to MEED magazine that contaminated soil projects in Kuwait are affiliated with the United Nations Compensation Committee to enable Kuwait to address the environmental damage resulting from the 1990-1991 Gulf War, indicating that the completion rate in the project packages currently stands at about 54%, clearing approximately 55 square kilometers of unexploded ordnance, and clearing more than 25 square kilometers of contamination, anticipating a move to large-scale cleanup operations before the end of 2024.
MEED magazine reported that the project had previously witnessed delays due to its unique nature, but in recent years, the project has witnessed increasing activity with the issuance of large tenders and the awarding of contracts.
The source pointed out that the project exceeded the treatment of more than 8.5 million tons of contaminated soil in total, and all contractors exceeded the treatment of 1.44 million tons of soil, and one of them reached 2 million tons.
It should be noted that the brutal Iraqi invasion caused pollution of about 114 square kilometers of the surface of the Kuwaiti desert due to the burning of nearly 700 oil wells, and wet and dry oil lakes and swamps filled with crude oil were formed due to the emptying of the destructive heads of the wells. Some of these pose a more complex challenge for cleaning, as they are located near underground layers or contain unexploded ordnance.
Kuwait Oil Company employed specialized contractors to carry out unexploded ordnance work, in addition to specialized employees to supervise the contractors’ operations.
On another note, MEED magazine reported that Kuwait received contractors’ offers for a large reforestation project in Kuwait, and the total low bids for the four packages of the project amounted to $394.1 million.
The original four reforestation contracts offered by KOC were expected to be awarded to four separate contractors and include a wide range of work activities, according to internal documents reviewed by MEED magazine.
Ten species of grasses and shrubs have been approved for the project, in addition to two types of trees. The reforestation project is the latest project to be put forward as part of the environmental remediation program, which is considered the largest environmental remediation project in the world. It was developed by the United Nations Compensation Commission to allow Kuwait to address environmental damage resulting from the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991.
