Rolling power cuts hit Kuwait

• 12 days ago (2024-06-20)
• David Flin

Distribution 112 Middle East 317

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Massive power cuts affected large areas of Kuwait on 19 June as temperatures across the country reached 52°C, leading to a rise in power consumption that exceeded supply capacity.

The Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy said in a statement that the cuts were necessitated as power generation plants were unable to meet rising demand in peak hours, and that the temperatures were higher than compared to the same period in previous years. The Ministry added that in order to protect the stability of the electricity network, it had resorted to programmed cuts of between one and two hours in various areas. It urged consumers to restrict power consumption during the peak hours from 11am to 5pm daily, to ensure it will not have to resort to the same action again.

The areas affected by the blackouts were spread across the country and included parts of Kuwait City. The Health Ministry said in a statement that there were no power outages, specialised centres, or blood banks. Medical services in a limited number of clinics, which experienced power outages, were not affected as backup generators were immediately deployed.

Kuwait has been facing power production shortages as construction of new capacity has not kept pace with increasing power demand. According to some studies, Kuwait is facing a shortage of 1331 MW this year, 1440 MW in 2025, and 1650 MW in 2026.