The oil rich Gulf region is not often regarded as a clean energy hub. But that has not stopped the Kuwaiti government setting the most ambitious renewable energy targets in the region – albeit in an attempt to boost fossil fuel exports.
Eyad Ali al-Falah, assistant undersecretary for technical services at the Ministry of Electricity and Water, yesterday told Bloomberg that the government is aiming to get 10 per cent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
"Renewable energy is a new subject for Kuwait," he said, adding that the ministry will now gather information on solar intensity and wind speeds to help determine which renewable energy technologies will offer the best returns.
Al-Falah said there were already a number of projects in the pipeline to build up renewable energy capacity, including a study at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to build 10MW wind turbines and a proposal for a 50MW solar PV plant.
The overarching aim of the new target is to allow renewables to supply domestic power, freeing up more oil for export.
The country's electricity demand is currently growing at eight per cent a year, raising concerns that it could soon outstrip supply. In the summer of 2010, 99 per cent of capacity was used up.
If the goal is achieved, Kuwait's proportion of renewables in its energy mix would exceed that of Abu Dhabi, which is aiming for seven per cent renewable power by 2020. Dubai is also developing an environmental plan focusing on improved demand-side-management of electricity and the development of better public transport infrastructure.
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