EXCLUSIVE: Kuwait discussing fuel switch for Al-Khiran IWPP

10 December 2017
Independent water and power project was originally scheduled to have been tendered in 2016

The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) and Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW) are in discussions over switching the fuel for the planned Al-Khiran independent water and power project (IWPP).

Seven developers were prequalified to bid for the planned Al-Khiran IWPP in August 2015, with KAPP having initially aimed to have tendered the project in early 2016. However, the project stalled due to the delay and cancellation of the Al-Zour North 2 IWPP and discussions over feedstock for the planned Al-Khiran scheme.

The Al-Khiran IWPP was planned to run on low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO), to be supplied from the new refinery being built near the site. However, MEW is negotiating with Kuwait’s state energy firms to secure a gas allocation for the proposed plant, so it can be switched from a steam to a combined-cycle gas configuration.

The project is now likely to be tendered in late 2019, according to sources close to the scheme.

The Al-Khiran 1 IWPP is planned to have a generation capacity of 1,500MW and a desalination component of 125 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD).

MEED recently reported that KAPP and MEW were planning to issue consultancy tenders in the first quarter of 2018 for the next Al-Zour North IWPP. Following the cancellation of the planned Al-Zour North 2 IWPP tender earlier this year, the planned second and third phases will be merged for the next tender.

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