Kuwait shortlists six bidders for 1.1 GW solar project

Kuwait has selected bidders to compete in the next round of the tender for the development of the Al Dibdibah Power and Al Shagaya Renewable Energy (Phase III) Zone 1 Solar PV Independent Power Project (IPP).

The list, published by the Authority For Partnership Projects (KAPP), includes Total Energies Renewables and Vietnam's Trung Nam Construction Investment Corp and consortiums of ACWA Power together with Alternative Energy Projects Company; Masdar with Fouad Alghanim & Sons General Trading and Contracting Company; EDF Renewables with partners Abdullah Al Hamad Al Sagar and Brothers Company and Korean Western Power Company; Jinko Power with Japan's Jera and Kuwait's National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC).

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The request for qualification (RfQ) was issued at the end of 2023.

The solar plant will be situated in the Shagaya area of Jahra Governorate, about 100 kilometres west of Kuwait City. It will supply electricity to Kuwait's national grid through a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy.

The tendered capacity is part of a bigger initiative aimed at the deployment of at least 4.5 GW of solar capacity in the Gulf nation. The other stages of the Shagaya initiative include also concentrated solar power (CSP).

KUWAIT AIMS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY EXPANSION

The oil-rich emirate is the latest in the region to embrace renewable energy. The Kuwait Oil Company, a subsidiary of the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp, has outlined an ambitious plan to deploy 17 GW of renewable energy and 25 GW of green hydrogen capacity by 2050. In July, consultancy firm KBR secured a contract to advise on the development of this strategy.

The plan includes the integration of wind and solar energy with energy storage systems. The renewable power generated from these sources will be used to produce green hydrogen for both domestic consumption and export.