Ministry averts power shutdowns amid technical challenges

• Al-Zour station’s 1,500 megawatt units boost ministry’s capacity, eliminating programmed shutdowns across sectors.

• The unprecedented rise in temperature led to a significant rise in demand for electricity and an increase in the consumption rate by about 2,000 megawatts.

The Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy successfully navigated the weekend without implementing programmed shutdowns, despite handling several emergency technical malfunctions at various stations, according to Al Rai newspaper.

The newspaper learned that despite the high loads reaching 16,500 megawatts on Saturday, the electricity network remained stable. This stability was achieved with Saudi support estimated at 200 megawatts through the GCC Interconnection Authority, Omani support estimated at 150 megawatts, and the 490 megawatts that the Kuwait network was receiving from Qatar.

The tripartite Gulf support for the Kuwait electricity network contributed to enhancing the network’s ability to meet the country’s electrical energy needs, especially considering the high temperatures the country has been experiencing for days. Additionally, the ministry succeeded in bringing the first units of the Al-Zour station, which was undergoing maintenance, back into service. This will help cover the increasing demand for electricity during this period.

The unprecedented rise in temperature, breaking the 50-degree Celsius barrier at this time of year—an increase of about eight degrees compared to the same days last year—led to a significant increase in demand for electricity and an increase in the consumption rate by about 2,000 megawatts, according to Al-Rai sources.

The sources pointed out that “the entry of production units into the Al-Zour station, which is undergoing maintenance, with a capacity of up to 1,500 megawatts during the coming days, will also enhance the ministry’s production capacity and remove the specter of programmed shutdowns from all sectors of the state.”

They stressed, at the same time, the continued negligence of consumers in rationalizing current consumption, especially at peak times.

Sources noted that “approving maintenance contracts and tenders will contribute to the efficiency of electric power generation plants and bring the actual production capacity close to the ministry’s installed production capacity, which amounts to about 18,500 megawatts.”

Emergency teams dealt with a power outage in limited parts of the Khalidiya area caused by two sub-feeders from the main substation (Khalidiya A) being out of service. Power was restored within two hours to the entire area.