KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait is moving closer to awarding three major electricity and water projects with a combined generation capacity of 3,400 megawatts and water production capacity of 33 million imperial gallons per day.
Joint committees from the Public-Private Partnership Authority and the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy are reviewing bids submitted by competing investors as they work to complete technical and financial evaluations.
The committees are expected to identify preferred investors and proceed with contract awards, paving the way for construction and strengthening Kuwait’s electricity and water production capacity.
Among the projects making the most progress is the Shagaya Renewable Energy Project Phase Three – Project One, which is planned to have a generation capacity of 1,100MW.
The technical committee overseeing the project has advanced its assessment of bids and is responding to inquiries from participating consortia before selecting the preferred investor. Construction is expected to take around 30 months from the date the contract is signed, potentially making the project one of the nearest new generation facilities to contribute additional electricity capacity.
Authorities are also reviewing bids for a second Shagaya project with a planned capacity of 500MW. The project is part of the wider Shagaya Renewable Energy Complex and supports Kuwait’s plans to expand renewable energy generation.
The Shagaya projects will use photovoltaic solar technology and follow memoranda of understanding concluded between Kuwait and China.
Another major project under evaluation is the Al-Khairan Power Generation and Water Desalination Plant – Phase One. The facility is designed to generate 1,800MW of electricity and produce 33 million imperial gallons of water per day.
Unlike the Shagaya projects, which rely on photovoltaic solar technology, Al-Khairan will use combined-cycle gas turbines. Two international consortia are competing for the project, with implementation expected to take around 54 months after the contract is signed.
According to sources, if the technical evaluations for all three projects are completed before the end of the year, contracts could be signed during the first quarter of next year.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy is continuing to follow developments related to the second and third phases of the Al-Zour North Power Station. Those phases are planned to provide 2,700MW of electricity generation capacity and 120 million imperial gallons of water production per day.
The timely implementation of the Al-Zour North phases is expected to provide additional capacity and help ease pressure on Kuwait’s electricity and water systems while the three projects currently under evaluation move through the awarding and construction stages.
Authorities are continuing to address potential obstacles and maintain planned timelines for the strategic infrastructure projects, which are expected to play an important role in strengthening Kuwait’s long-term electricity and water security.
