KPC CEO Nizar Al-Adsani and KOC CEO Jamal Jaafar recently inaugurated the Sidrah 500 project that utilizes photovoltaic solar energy in Um Gudair, West Kuwait. Carlos Tejada, Ambassador of Spain to Kuwait, KEPA General Director Sheikh Abdullah Ahmed Al-Hamoud Al-Sabah, and a number of DCEOs attended the inauguration ceremony.
Sidrah 500 is the first large-scale photovoltaic solar energy project implemented by the Company, and the plant has a capacity to generate 10 MW of electrical power solely from solar energy. This project will help KOC save approximately 500,000 barrels of oil over the course of 20 years.
In a statement he made to the press on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, KOC CEO Jamal Jaafar maintained that Sidrah 500 is the first photovoltaic solar energy project to be utilized in the oil fields at KOC. He also said that the project’s value rests in its ability to generate alternative energy as opposed to relying on electricity supplied by the Ministry of Electricity and Water, which is derived by conventional means.
On the sidelines of the event, KOC CEO Jamal Jaafar said Sidrah 500 represented the country’s first step toward significant alternative energy production. “We hope that by 2020 we can produce 20 percent of the electricity which will be needed to run KOC from alternative sources,” he said.
During the ceremony, KOC DCEO Drilling and Technology Ahmad Al-Eidan delivered a speech in which he said that the project is regarded as a practical interpretation of KPC’s vision to obtain value from technology while contributing to KOC and the State of Kuwait.
“It gives me great pleasure to be with you here today on this historic occasion, when we are celebrating the opening of Kuwait’s first large-scale solar project. This 10-megawatt project represents the first step taken to bring the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, of meeting 15% of Kuwait’s energy demand, through renewable and sustainable technologies, such as solar and wind. It is a practical translation of KPC’s vision of “Realizing Value from Technology” and “Contributing to Enterprise and State,” he said.
DCEO D&T Ahmad Al-Eidan went on to say that since its establishment, KOC has dedicated itself to ensuring the prosperity of Kuwait. However, he also added that as an oil company, KOC’s responsibilities do not stop at simply growing the economy, as the Company realizes it has a major role to play in society, which is why it strives to live up to its commitments by doing everything in its control to protect our environment.
“By deploying this pioneering project, KOC is signaling to the world that Kuwait is strongly committed to protecting the environment and reducing its carbon footprint for the good of humanity. This is the first KOC project registered with the “Clean Development Mechanism” under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change,” he said.+
“The project, which is named Sidrah 500, will significantly cut down on CO2 emissions that will be the equivalent of planting 500,000 trees. In addition, the project will save the Company’s 500,000 barrels of oil over the course of the next 20 years. Aside from the environmental benefits, there is also the element of technology transfer, through an extensive training program by our project partner. KOC employees will have the opportunity to learn more about solar technology and utilize this clean form of energy for the benefit of KOC and the State of Kuwait,” he added.
About the Sidrah 500 Project
Kuwait announced plans last year to generate 15 percent of its energy needs via renewable sources by 2030. Consumption of electricity is rising rapidly in Kuwait, as it is throughout the rest of the Gulf region. Last year, official figures indicated that Kuwait’s electricity demand would reach 30,000 MW per day by 2030.
The opening of the plant follows increased interest in renewables in Kuwait and across the Gulf region in recent years, as the scale of the consumption challenge has become clear. The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research signed a contract last year with Spain’s TSK to establish the country’s first solar thermal energy plant, with a planned production capacity of 50 MW. The institute’s Shigaya initiative is also planning solar and wind projects in the northwest of the country.
Facts about the Sidrah 500 project:
• 10 MW peak, 5 MW minimum during summer months from 10AM – 2PM
• Location: Umm Gudair, West Kuwait
• 5 km away from F-193 substation, which is connected to MEW Minagish-B substation
• Feeds 29 Electric Submersible Pumps (ESP)
• Located on a 600m x 600m plot of land (360,000 square meters = 36 hectares)
• The plant uses crystalline silicon panels at a 16.2% rate of efficiency
• Panels are mounted on single-axis trackers to maximize output of the solar plant
• First utility-scale solar plant in Kuwait
• First solar plant in the world to power ESPs
• First KOC project to register with the United Nations
Benefits:
• Environmental: Reduction of CO2 emissions
• Economical: Less oil is required for fuel, which translates to an economic benefit
• Skills Development: Training on solar plants from development to operation for KOC staff and others through Kuwaitization