By:Zawya

Kuwait needs to intensify the construction of solar energy projects to face a steady growth in domestic demand and avert a power supply crisis, a newspaper has said.

The wealthy Gulf state is expected to suffer from a supply shortage of round 1,600 megawatts (MW) next summer and the gap could widen to 5,600 MW in 2029 in the absence of projects to boost power generation, Alqabas said, quoting Najib Al-Muneefi, an adviser at the Electricity Ministry.

“Without urgent measures, Kuwait could face continuous power supply disruptions and become a pure electricity importer in 2030,” he said.

“I believe one of the effective solutions to tackle the supply deficit is to rely on private investments and to build several renewable energy projects,” he added.

In press comments last month, Kuwaiti Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Minister Mahmoud Bushehri said there is a plan to execute a series of new power projects to avert supply crises during the peak summer.

“We have devised plans to expand existing power plants and construct a number of new facilities.…the operational life of some stations has expired and they need to be taken out of service…this means we need to build new stations to replace those units.”

Bushehri said the new projects also include renewable energy to allow Kuwait to attain its target of expanding the share of renewable sources to 30 percent of the total energy mix within the next four years.