Kuwait reviews 1.1GW solar prequalifications

25 April 2024

Kuwait’s Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy Ministry (MEWRE), through the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (Kapp), is still reviewing the prequalification applications it has received for a contract to develop and operate a 1,100MW solar independent power producer (IPP) scheme.

The project comprises the Al-Dibdibah and Shagaya renewable energy phase three, zone one project, Kapp said when it issued the request for qualifications to interested bidders in January.

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

"They are still evaluating the prequalification submissions," one source tells MEED, without disclosing when the ministry or KAPP expects to publish the list of prequalified bidders for the contract.    

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.

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.

2030-50 strategy

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, which was announced in March.

Electricity, Water & Renewable Energy Minister Salem Falah Al Hajraf confirmed that the strategy also involves the installation of distributed or rooftop solar farms, with the state procuring the energy output from solar photovoltaic (PV) farms.

Kuwait's current overall power generation installed capacity is about 20GW. 

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Jennifer Aguinaldo
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