Kuwait aims to have a renewable energy installed capacity of 22,100MW by 2030 as part of its new 20-year strategy that ends in 2050.

Kuwait’s Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy (MEWRE) Minister Salem Falah Al Hajraf confirmed the plan during an event in Kuwait that launched the country’s renewable energy strategy spanning 2030 to 2050.

Al Hajraf said the strategy also involves the installation of distributed or rooftop solar farms, with the state procuring the energy output from solar photovoltaic (PV) farms.

According to the Kuwait News Agency, the move aims to allow Kuwaiti citizens to get involved in energy production while “taking into account the environmental aspects in the implementation of the Emir’s directives in terms of carbon neutrality”. 

1.1GW project

MEWRE, through the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (Kapp), recently invited interested companies to purchase the request for qualifications (RFQ) document for a 1,100MW solar independent power producer (IPP) scheme.

The project comprises the Al-Dibdibah and Shagaya renewable energy phase three, zone one project, according to Kapp.

The 1,100MW solar PV IPP project is located in Jahra governorate, approximately 100 kilometres from the capital, Kuwait City.

Companies had until 22 February to purchase the RFQ document. Kapp initially expected to receive responses from interested companies by 7 March.

MEED understands this date has been extended.

MEED reported in October last year that Kuwait was expected to start issuing the RFQs for the 4,500MW next phases of the state’s Shagaya Renewable Energy Project (SREP) by the end of the year.

Phase two will comprise a 200MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant with a storage capacity of around five hours.

A third phase will comprise a 1,500MW solar IPP and the final phase will be a 1,700MW solar IPP scheme.

The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (Kisr), in partnership with the electricity ministry, developed the first phase of SREP. This comprised a 50MW parabolic trough CSP plant and a wind and solar PV plant, each with a 10MW capacity.

In August 2022, a team led by London-headquartered consultancy firm EY won the transaction advisory contract for the next phases of Kuwait’s renewable energy programme. London-headquartered DLA Piper is the legal adviser, while Norwegian engineering services firm DNV is the client’s technical and environmental adviser.

Mena renewable capacity

According to global information services provider GlobalData, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expected to have the highest renewable energy installed capacities, ranging from 20% to 61% of their overall power generation installed capacity, by the end of the decade.

Before the implementation of its 2030-50 strategy, Kuwait’s renewable energy capacity is expected to account for less than 10% of its overall electricity production mix by the end of 2030.