The state of Kuwait has experienced tremendous growth in recent decades, contributing to the highest human development index rating in the Arab world. As one of the world’s highest per capita consumers of power, Kuwait faces soaring demand to keep up with this rapid development. Kuwait is taking significant and responsible strides to boost its power, supporting the nation and its people to flourish.
Power plays a unique and critical role in the ongoing advancement of Kuwait’s people. The country sells power at highly subsidized rates to its population, which includes 1.1 million citizens and 2.35 million foreign residents. It does so very effectively, ranking highest in the Arab world at providing basic services. Meteoric growth has strained the system over time, however, leading to outages in the hot summer months during peak demand.
The GE and Hyundai Heavy Industries collaboration in Kuwait is geared toward supporting the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water to enhance power capacity in the country. At its heart is a $2.65 billion government contract to build the country’s first new power plant in two decades. The 2,000-megawatt Sabiya power plant is expected to be the largest combined cycle power plant in Kuwait, when completed. GE is supplying critical equipment to the new facility, to be located in Sabiya, as well as operating and maintaining the plant for seven years following its start date. As part of the deal, the GE team is guaranteeing the availability of power during the high-demand summer.
The gas-fired Sabiya plant will boost the nation’s capacity by 20 percent upon its completion. In conjunction with other projects, Kuwait expects its capacity to double in the next five years. Given that demand is projected to continue growing at 8 percent annually, getting the new facility online between 2011 and 2012 will be especially important.
Kuwaiti authorities recognize the huge impact of such efforts on the State’s continued prosperity. “A reliable supply of electricity is critical to avoid future power shortages and to support the continued economic and social development of Kuwait,” said Dr. Bader Shabeeb Al Shriaan, Kuwait’s Minister of Electricity and Water. “GE’s technological capability and strong local service support will help meet the need for responsible, efficient energy in Kuwait.”
This notion of responsible energy is another important component of the partnership. The equipment supplied by GE in Sabiya — three combined-cycle power blocks, including six Frame 9FA gas turbines — contains the latest emission-reducing technology. GE teams will train employees of the Ministry of Electricity and Water to operate the plants efficiently and in accordance with industry best practices.
The Sabiya project is the latest in a relationship between GE and Kuwait that dates back to the early 1970s. GE has supported an array of infrastructure needs there over the years, ranging from power to water, aviation, and oil and gas. As Kuwait continues its booming development in the years to come, the new energy capacity will provide its people with welcome and timely relief — especially come summertime.