Kuwait’s electricity sector adapts to summer strain with targeted shutdowns

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The Gulf electrical interconnection network continued to bolster the national grid with 840 megawatts, while the Ministry of Electricity implemented planned power cuts in specified agricultural and industrial areas. This measure aimed to alleviate the strain on the current consumption, which peaked at approximately 16,620 megawatts.

Initially beginning at noon, the scheduled manual cutoff affected agricultural sites in Wafra and Abdali Al-Rawdatain for two hours. Later in the day, the shutdown extended to four industrial zones at Abdullah Port, Subhan, Al-Rai, and Shuwaikh. Concurrently, parts of the Farwaniya area experienced power disruptions due to emergency maintenance at the main transfer station Al-Omaria (A), along with four sectors in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh undergoing emergency maintenance work.

Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, as well as Minister of State for Housing Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Bushehri, inspected Al-Zour South Station to oversee progress after a minor fire incident that did not affect production. Accompanied by Engineer Haitham Al-Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for Electrical Power and Water Distillation Plants Sector, they reviewed operational measures and monitored the integration of units into the electrical network.

Meanwhile, a coordination session among the Ministry of Electricity, the Public Authority for Industry, the Federation of Kuwaiti Industries, and factory stakeholders concluded with agreements on measures to reduce electricity loads. These include scaling down industrial sector consumption by 30 to 40 percent during peak hours and adjusting work shifts to off-peak periods from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special consideration was given to factories with continuous production lines.

At the meeting held at the Industry Authority headquarters, potential solutions for factories to optimize electricity use amidst heightened summer demand were deliberated. Acting Director General of the Authority, Engineer Muhammad Al-Adwani, urged factory owners to adopt necessary measures to address the increased load rates. He also announced a halt in factory inspections during new working hours until the end of summer, aligning with adjusted shift schedules.

Engineer Falah Al-Mutairi, Undersecretary of Services at the Ministry of Electricity, clarified that the Ministry lacks a preset schedule for programmed cuts, relying instead on one-hour advance notice of high loads. This operational approach makes coordinated scheduling of shutdowns between factories impractical.