Kuwait solar project plans listed at MEED conference

The MEED Kuwait Energy & Water Efficiency Conference was told today that 3 per cent of Kuwait’s forecast electricity generation capacity needs in 2030 could be met by operating, planned and proposed solar power projects. The projects are:

• Rooftop photovoltaic units on Ministry of Electricity & Water and Ministry of Public Works buildings with a combined 1MWp capacity. These are operating

• PV units used in the car park in Kuwait Towers with total capacity of 120kWp, also in operation

• A proposed 330MWp utility PV unit serving groundwater reservoirs

• The three-phase proposed wind and PV/CSP renewable project being developed at Shagaya by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). The project’s first 2.5MWp phase is due to start operating in 2016. A site with an area of 150 square kilometres has been set aside for a possible expansion in two further phases that will add a total of 3,000MWp of renewable capacity by 2030

• The proposed Co-op buildings rooftop PV project with capacity of MWp1 being developed by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) which is due to start operating in 2014

• The proposed rooftop PV project for 150 houses, also being developed by KFAS, which is due to be completed in 2017, and

• The proposed West Kuwait renewable project being developed by KISR in partnership with Kuwait Municipality. A 550 square kilometre site allocated for the scheme is projected to have capacity of 20,000MWp.

These projects will have peak power generation capacity of 3,200MW, equivalent to about 3 per cent of Kuwait’s forecast electricity production needs in 2030.

The Kuwait Energy & Water Efficiency Conference is being held in the Jumeirah Messilah Beach hotel in Kuwait City.

The conference is supported by the Ministry of Electricity & Water and endorsed by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). Drake & Scull and Kimmco are conference sponsors. Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and Mushrif Trading & Contracting Company are networking sponsors.