Kuwait lags far behind in renewable energy, production only 0.3 percent
Implementation to achieve transition has been slow
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 30: A government report shows Kuwait lags far behind in the use of renewable energy, from the target percentage announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference which has set the target of one percent from 2015 to 15 percent in 2030 saying renewable energy represents 0.3% of the total installed capacity of the power plants in the country at the end of 2020, reports Al-Anba daily.
Although the International Renewable Energy Agency praised Kuwait in 2010 as being among the first countries to ratify the establishment of the organization saying it was a message to the world by beginning its transition to the era of using renewable energy, the implementation to achieve this has been slow.
Observations
The report stated that the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy must address project observations in order for the state to achieve its goal of increasing the proportion of electricity production from renewable sources, in a way that ensures sustainable prosperity and Kuwait’s global contribution to avoiding an increase in greenhouse gases by 7.4% until 2035, as announced recently by the United Nations Climate Change Conference which was held in Glasgow, UK.
The report monitored four renewable energy projects in Kuwait. The estimated value of the implementation of these 4 projects is 23.5 million dinars, and the ministry’s budget included the financial appropriation of 100,000 dinars for only one project, which is (installing photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the underground water tanks of Al-Subbiya), noting that the ministry cannot at all be certain of a date for the operation for any of them due to some factors.
Kuwait is a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which aims to encourage member states to introduce renewable energy as a national priority in their economies to stimulate sustainable growth and reduce the concentration of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere to preserve the environment and not put pressure on its natural resources. Statute of the Agency on June 19, 2009 in the German city of Bonn, and approved by the National Assembly as a law on May 1, 2013.
The government of Kuwait has 4 agreements and memoranda of understanding with governments of the
world in the field of renewable energy.
The State of Kuwait is at the bottom of the list of Arab and international countries in the transition to the field of
renewable energy, despite its signing of 3 memoranda of understanding and framework agreements with countries that have managed to secure advanced
ranks globally, led by the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco, which is ranked among the top 15 global countries in this field.