Countries in the Middle-East and North Africa region will need to expand power generation capacity by an average of 4 percent each year between now and 2023. Much of this expansion is likely to come from the environmentally harmful and unsustainable burning of fossil-fuels, says a new report on the energy situation in the area.
The report by the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), the regional multilateral development bank focused on the energy sector, points out that this expanded power generation, which corresponds to an additional capacity of 88GW, is crucial to meet the increasing population and economic growth demands of the region. But, the report adds that constrained by subdued oil prices and consecutive budget deficits, as well as growing environmental concerns about fossil-fuels, countries in the region will struggle to meet their energy expansion requirements unless they urgently undertake much-needed energy reforms.
Kuwait, which depends on the burning of fossil fuels for its power generation and water desalination processes, is especially at a disadvantage. Available data from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and World Bank show that Kuwait’s total annual electricity production of 66 billion kWh was only a little above its total consumption of 58 billion kWh. Per capita consumption of electricity in Kuwait at around 14,000 kWh per year, is among the highest in the world. By comparison, the per capita consumption of electricity in Europe is only 5,500 kWh.
Even more alarming is that this profligate consumption is projected to soar in the coming decade. According to estimates by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) the demand for electricity is set to triple by 2030.
The continued burning of crude oil and gas as fuel to meet this huge demand poses a severe challenge on the country’s energy generation capacity, both in terms of fuel and infrastructure, as well as in relation to the enormous environmental risks posed by greenhouse gas emissions arising from this unbridled consumption.
Reducing the runaway demand for electricity, removing production and distribution inefficiencies, and phasing-out subsidies, are just some of the reforms that the country needs to consider in earnest if it is to rein-in this seemingly insatiable and unsustainable demand for electricity. The removal of all subsidies on fuel and power is expected to not only alleviate financial pressures on government and promote market-based supply patterns for energy, but also cut down on the unproductive consumption of electricity and fuel in the country..
Of even more importance from an environmental and sustainable point of view is the importance of incorporating renewable energy in Kuwait’s power generation mix. In this regard, it is highly commendable that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, has issued directives to prioritize the use of renewable energy in Kuwait and set the target of meeting 15 percent of peak electricity demand from renewable energy sources by 2030. In its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) submitted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2015, Kuwait admitted that its energy sector activities were responsible for 95 percent of CO2-equivalent emissions in its total national emissions.
According to its submitted INDC, Kuwait said it was working to mitigate the amount of greenhouse gases and avoid increasing emissions through several projects and developments. Among the greenhouse gas lowering project is the production of clean fuels to supply power plants by 2020, and thereby significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the construction of the greenfield Al-Zour Refinery, which will meet international environmental standards in the way it operates, and in its products that will be compatible with the highest environmental specifications and standards.
Other emission-reduction projects being planned or implemented include energy production project from municipal solid waste, which is expected to start operation by 2020; a mass transit metro system; and a railway project that will link Kuwait ports, as well as ports in neighboring countries, to achieve integrated and sustainable development for transporting goods and passengers in Kuwait and abroad.
However, on top of Kuwait’s initiatives aimed at reducing its emissions is the production of energy from renewable sources, including photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy and wind energy, all of which are expected to reach the maximum production capacity by 2030. Kuwait Foundation for Applied Sciences (KFAS) and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) are among the main catalysts for spearheading renewable energy transformations in the country’s energy landscape.
KFAS has initiated and funded several pilot projects to promote and accelerate the use of solar energy for electrical power generation, in addition to raising public awareness about these technologies. Among the ventures initiated by KFAS is a pilot project using solar energy from photovoltaic (PV) systems in two cooperative societies — Zahra and Adailiya. Another pilot project by KFAS is in the designing, constructing, operating, and monitoring of rooftop, grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems for a total of 150 homes in the country.
Both projects were implemented in cooperation with the KISR and the MEW, in addition to the Kuwait Municipality and the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, Union of Cooperatives, NGOs and individuals. The projects were shown to save on the oil that would have been used to generate electricity the traditional way, while also significantly lowering CO2 emissions. Based on the successful results from the pilot projects, KFAS has initiated renewable energy applications more broadly in the country by implementing power generation through photovoltaic cells in 10 other cooperatives and 1,500 more homes.
For its part, KISR has also initiated several energy efficiency and energy management programs to help mitigate Kuwait’s emerging energy challenge. The Institute’s Renewable Energy Technology (RET) Program is leading Kuwait’s efforts to find renewable energy solutions that are most appropriate for the unique climate conditions of Kuwait.
One such renewable energy project commissioned by KISR for the Ministry of Electricity and Water was the first phase of the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, located in Kuwait’s northwestern governorate of Jahra. The project, launched in February of this year with a production capacity of 70MW, was inaugurated by the Minister of Oil, Electricity and Water Dr. Khaled Al Fadhel. The launch incidentally coincided with celebrations marking the country’s 58th National Day, the 28th Liberation Day, and the 13th anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s ascension to power.
Phase Two of the project is expected to produce 1,500MW of power via Solar Photovoltaic (PV) generation, while Phase Three will be designed to generate 1,500MW of energy from multiple clean energy technologies. The final phase is expected to add a further 1,000MW of electricity to the park’s total output. Once fully complete, the solar park could save 12 million barrels of oil per annum for Kuwait, create 10,000 new jobs during the development phase, as well as 1,200 during its operation and maintenance. The project is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions of 196,000 tons annually in the first phase, and five million tons once the final phase is over.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Al-Fadhel revealed that the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, along with other projects, including the second phase of the Dabdaba solar energy project by the Kuwait OIl Company with a capacity of 1,500 MW, will help contribute to achieving the15 country’s 15 percent renewable energy target.
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