Kuwait announces power outages as demand increases during summer heat

Kuwait announced temporary power cuts in parts of the country during peak consumption hours, saying it was struggling to meet increased demand caused by extreme summer heat.

In a statement on Wednesday, Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said the planned cuts would take place for up to two hours a day, a first for an OPEC member nation as climate change causes temperatures to rise.

He blames the cuts on the “inability of power plants to meet increased demand” during peak hours amid “rising temperatures compared to the same period in previous years.”

On Thursday, the ministry published a schedule of expected cuts in several parts of the country, after urging residents to ration their consumption to ease the pressure on power plants.

Kuwait, one of the largest oil producers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is considered one of the hottest desert countries in the world.

In recent years, climate change has caused summer peaks to become warmer and longer.

Extreme heat increases reliance on energy-hungry air conditioners, which are ubiquitous in Kuwait during the summer months.

Temperatures reached nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, according to Kuwait’s Meteorological Department.

“What we are experiencing today is the result of climate change,” said Kuwaiti astronomer and scientist Adel Al-Saadoun, noting that temperatures are expected to rise above 50 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

Last month, Kuwait signed short-term agreements to purchase 500 megawatts of electricity, including 300 MW from Oman and 200 MW from Qatar, during the summer months. The contracts were to be valid from June 1 to August 31.

Kamel Harami, a Kuwaiti energy expert, said the Gulf state needs to modernize its energy infrastructure.

“The energy available is not enough and instead of relying on oil and gas, we need to switch to nuclear, solar and wind energy,” he told AFP.

“This is only the beginning of the crisis, and programmed power cuts will continue in the coming years unless we accelerate the construction of power plants.”

Umm Mohammed, a Kuwaiti woman in her 60s, said she was without electricity for two hours on Wednesday.

“We didn’t feel any serious effects,” she told AFP, noting that the house was cold during the short break.

“Some people turn their homes into refrigerators even when they are not inside, and this increases the burden” on the power plant, she said.

str/ho/it