Kuwait scraps plans for 1.5-GW solar project as COVID-19 takes toll

Solar panels by iamme ubeyou.

The government of Kuwait has abandoned plans to build the 1.5 GW Al-Dabdaba solar complex due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent economic turmoil.

The country’s cabinet made the announcement on Monday, saying its decision is based on the COVID-19 crisis and its “impacts on the global oil and financial markets.” The cancellation is expected to allow Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) to better focus on its priorities and keep its positions in the international oil markets.

The massive project was undertaken by KPC’s subsidiary Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in 2018 and was planned to become operational in February 2021. A tender for its construction and operation and maintenance (O&M) was held back in 2018.

Planned to be installed within the Al-Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, near the Saudi Arabian border, the photovoltaic (PV) park was expected to generate electricity to cover around 15% of the electricity needed by Kuwait’s oil sector. Its construction also aligned with the country’s goal to source 15% of its total power from renewables by 2030.

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