Kuwait’s electricity load reaches historic 17,000 megawatts amid scorching heatwave

In a historic milestone, Kuwait’s electricity load index surged to an unprecedented 17,000 megawatts today (Thursday), marking an increase of 3,000 megawatts compared to the same day last year, when the index stood at 14,000 megawatts. The dramatic spike in consumption is attributed to the intense heatwave currently gripping the country, with temperatures peaking at 49 degrees Celsius.

This marks the third consecutive day of rising electricity demand, setting a new record for the month compared to previous years. In response, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy implemented strategic power cuts across various sectors to stabilize the grid and prevent system overload, reports Al-Rai daily.

According to MEW sources, the heatwave’s sudden onset significantly intensified electricity usage, pushing demand beyond production capacity — even after importing 1,050 megawatts from the Gulf interconnection grid. The ministry has reportedly accelerated efforts to bring power units back into service immediately after maintenance in a bid to alleviate the pressure.

On Thursday, the ministry cut electricity to 39 residential neighborhoods, five industrial zones, and three agricultural areas, as announced on its official website. Notifications were also delivered to affected citizens and residents through the government’s “Sahel” application.

Officials indicated that residential power outages will not exceed two hours, while industrial and agricultural areas may experience outages of up to three hours. A slight drop in consumption is anticipated over the weekend, with outages expected to be limited primarily to farms and selected industrial zones.

Ministry sources stressed that rationalizing electricity use during peak hours remains the only viable short-term solution, especially in the absence of new power generation projects coming online. Collaborative discussions are underway with relevant authorities to introduce broader measures aimed at curbing consumption during the summer months.

As Kuwait battles extreme weather and increasing demand, authorities are urging the public to practice energy conservation as a collective effort to safeguard the nation’s power infrastructure.