New solar plant to meet 15% of oil sector’s needs by 2021
Oil production stands at 2.75 million bpd: KOC
KUWAIT: Kuwait’s ‘Al-Dabdaba’ solar plant, expected to be completed in the fiscal year 2020/2021, will produce around 15 percent of the oil sector’s power consumption, Minster of Oil Essam Al-Marzouq said yesterday.
In a speech to open Kuwait’s International Health Safety and Environment (KIHSE) Conference and Exhibition, Marzouq, who is also Minister of Electricity and Water, said that the solar plant will help reduce carbon emissions by 1.3 million tons yearly.
Moreover, he noted that the project fits into national strategies to rely on renewable energy and promote environment conservation, adding that the use of renewable energy requires support of sustained development in the country.
On the conference, the Minister of Oil said it will tackle solutions to environmental challenges, against the backdrop of plummeting oil prices, noting that oil production methods in Kuwait strictly adhere to environment safety procedures.
Marzouq added that Kuwait is eager to invest in highly efficient energy sources with minimal carbon content, which highlights the need to invest in projects dealing with renewable energy and petrochemicals locally and abroad. He also pointed out that Kuwait is always on the lookout for new energy sources to meet the country’s increasing power needs.
Meanwhile, CEO of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Jamal Jaafar said that Kuwait’s total oil production has reached around 2.75 million barrels per day (bpd). In a statement to the press on the sidelines of conference, Jaafar underscored Kuwait’s commitment to an OPEC deal to cut oil output, which has no bearing on production.
On Kuwait’s production of natural gas, he revealed that free gas output totals out to be 180 million cubic feet per day, while production of associated gas is at 40 million cubic feet per day for every 100,000 barrels.
The KOC official noted that the company is eyeing a boom in natural gas production to around 800 or 900 million cubic feet per day, adding that KOC’s production capacity amounts to 3.1 million bpd.
Moreover, Jaafar said that the company has launched a plethora of monumental projects that aim to ratchet up production capacity, all of which are environment-friendly.
Free gas
On a related note, Marzouq said that free gas production remains one of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s (KPC) top priorities. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the conference, the Minister said that KOC will consider an offer next Monday dealing with measures to expedite free gas production, adding that plans are in the works to privatize oil projects. Meanwhile, AlMarzouq’s Omani counterpart Dr Mohammad AlRamhi, who was in attendance at the conference, said that OPEC’s decision to reduce oil production is a measure to protect consumers. — KUNA