Kuwait plans 14 GW in new power projects by 2031

Kuwait, a major oil producer, has been grappling with power shortages caused by rapid population growth, urban expansion, soaring temperatures and maintenance delays at some plants, forcing the government to impose planned power cuts in some areas since last year.

Subaih Al-Mukhaizim, minister of electricity, water, and renewable energy, said on X that the country successfully managed the summer of 2025 despite temperatures reaching 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit) on some days, noting that peak summer electricity load fell 0.17% year-on-year, compared with expectations for a 4% increase.

The projects include the 2.7 GW second and third phases of the Al-Zour North power plant, signed in August with a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and the Gulf Investment Corporation at a cost exceeding 1 billion dinars ($3.27 billion), backed by local and international banks.

They also cover the first and second phases of the Shagaya renewable energy project, with a combined capacity of 1.6 GW, to be built under a public-private partnership model, while the third and fourth phases will add 3 GW in cooperation with China.

The program also features the first phase of the Khairan power and water desalination plant, set to add 1.8 GW under a PPP scheme, with bidding opened to pre-qualified consortiums in September.

In addition, parts of the 7.2 GW Nuwaiseeb project will be built, with a portion scheduled for completion after 2031 and into the next decade, ministry spokesperson Fatma Abbas Johar Hayat told Reuters.