Kuwait to build solar power plants by next summer

• Rush job to help power shortage
• Plants will provide 2000MW
• Rationing during peak hours

Kuwait is planning to build four solar power plants with a combined generation capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), enough to power about 1.5 million homes, according to local media.

The ministry of electricity, water and renewable energy is studying the projects, which must be completed by summer next year, Alanba daily said, quoting ministry sources.

The country is seeking quick solutions to reverse a worsening electricity supply shortage.

“They will be a real lifeline as they are expected to be completed within a year before the start of next year’s summer season. This could contribute to tackling the power supply problem and help achieve the target of boosting renewable energy uses to 15 percent in 2030,” the newspaper quoted the sources as saying.

Although Kuwait is rich in oil it has little unassociated gas to use in power generation. The country suffers from a widening power supply gap because domestic demand outstrips supply and few major projects in conventional and renewable energy have been completed.

Last year state-owned Kuwait Oil Company commissioned US oilfield services company KBR to develop a master plan to produce 17 gigawatts (GW) of renewables and 25GW of green hydrogen by 2050.

KBR said the phased strategy involves developing “significant wind and solar power, combined with power storage capability” and the development of green hydrogen for internal industrial use and export.

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Early this month, Kuwait told factories to suspend work for six hours daily during summer as part of a rationalisation plan.

Domestic demand exceeds 19,000MW in the summer months and Kuwait needs to rationalise power consumption during peak hours.

Local reports had earlier warned that Kuwait could suffer from a power deficit of nearly 2,000MW this summer and 2,500MW in the summer of 2026.

Kuwait, which boasts the world’s sixth largest extractable oil deposits, had planned to privatise the operation of its power facilities but the scheme, which was due to start during fiscal 2025-2026 year, has been delayed.