KUWAIT CITY, March 17: The Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy is working diligently to ensure a smooth and safe transition into the upcoming summer season. As part of its annual maintenance program, the ministry is completing scheduled maintenance on electricity generation units before June. However, concerns about scheduled power outages still loom. Recent statistics from the ministry reveal that the available electrical energy for the national grid next summer will be approximately 17,234 megawatts. In addition, the ministry is negotiating to purchase an extra 1,000 megawatts from the Gulf electricity grid to meet the demands of the summer months. This would bring the total production capacity to about 18,234 megawatts.

Despite this, the expected maximum consumption load is projected to reach 18,600 megawatts, meaning that the consumption will surpass the production capacity by roughly 370 megawatts. According to the ministry, if any production unit unexpectedly fails during peak load hours, scheduled power outages will be necessary to stabilize the grid, as occurred last summer.

In response to this potential shortfall, informed sources have revealed that the ministry is heavily relying on public awareness to help minimize electricity consumption during peak hours, which typically run from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The ministry encourages consumers to turn off unnecessary air conditioning units during this period. Additionally, the ministry is in the process of forming a higher committee to address electricity and water consumption. This committee will coordinate with various authorities, including ministries, government agencies, institutions, and factories, to develop strategies aimed at reducing electricity consumption and compensating for the expected shortage next summer.

The sources further explained that if a strict, binding rationalization plan is implemented for government entities and factories, the consumption-to-production gap during the summer months could be mitigated. The success of this effort will depend largely on the cooperation of government agencies and the public's willingness to heed the ministry’s calls for efficient energy use.

One of the main concerns of the ministry is the potential sudden failure of electricity generation units due to unforeseen emergencies. This occurred last summer at the Doha East Power Plant, where the failure of several units resulted in the loss of around 700 megawatts of power, necessitating scheduled power outages.

There are also several older production units nearing the end of their service life, such as those at the Shuaiba South and Doha East power plants. These units were slated for decommissioning years ago, with plans to replace them with newer plants. However, the ongoing demand for every megawatt has delayed these projects. As a result, these aging units may not meet the required operational standards, increasing the ministry’s challenges and making it difficult to avoid scheduled power outages next summer.

The successful avoidance of outages next summer will depend on two main factors: consumer and government agency awareness regarding the need to reduce electricity consumption, especially during peak hours, and ensuring the smooth operation of all production units at full capacity without any unexpected breakdowns.

It’s important to note that the ministry's installed production capacity stands at 19,377 megawatts, but the actual capacity of power plants to generate electricity may differ, further complicating the situation.