Kuwait plans refinery expansion by 2025 to meet global demand

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KUWAIT CITY: Wadha Al-Khatib, acting CEO of both the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) and Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC), has outlined plans to increase the refining capacity of Kuwait’s local refineries — Al-Zour, Al-Ahmadi, and Mina Abdullah — from 1.4 million barrels per day to approximately 1.5 million barrels per day by 2025. This expansion aims to meet growing global demand for clean refined products such as clean fuel oil, low-sulfur diesel, naphtha, and jet fuel that adhere to international environmental standards. Al-Khatib emphasized the importance of digital twinning across both companies to implement comprehensive digital transformation mechanisms across all facilities and departments.

This initiative will enhance local refinery production capacities and improve operational efficiency. KNPC, as part of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, is actively advancing towards digital transformation and leveraging artificial intelligence technologies. In addition to increasing production efficiency, digital transformation in the oil sector plays a crucial role in cost reduction and facility maintenance, while enhancing overall security and safety protocols by detecting potential malfunctions early. Under Al-Khatib’s leadership, KNPC and KIPIC are progressing with initiatives aligned with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

These efforts underscore Kuwait’s commitment to integrating digital technological advancements across all projects within the country’s oil sector. The Al-Zour refinery, inaugurated on May 29 by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, ranks among the world’s top ten largest refineries, boasting a daily refining capacity of 615 thousand barrels. It incorporates cutting-edge global technologies and an advanced environmental system that ensures rigorous environmental monitoring and operates with minimal smoke and noise emissions.

Digital twinning is a key strategy for implementing digital transformation across KNPC and KIPIC, enhancing operational efficiency and potentially increasing production capacity. This initiative aligns with the KPC vision for carbon neutrality by 2050, leveraging digital technologies and AI to improve safety, detect issues early, and optimize spending. Additionally, the Al-Zour refinery, one of the world’s largest, showcases Kuwait’s commitment to advanced technologies and environmental sustainability with its innovative design and environmental control systems