The planned Kabd waste-to-energy project in Kuwait has stalled as it has not received final approvals.

In August last year, Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP), the country’s public-private partnership (PPP) body, selected a consortium led by France’s Constructions industrielles de la Méditerranée (CNIM) as the preferred bidder for the project. The consortium also includes the local Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and the local Al-Mulla group. According to sources close to the scheme, the project has not received approval from the State Audit Bureau (SAB), the body with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of major projects, has not yet approved the award of the contract due to some issues over legal coverage.

According to a source close to the scheme, KAPP is satisfied with the financial and technical aspects of the selected proposal, and the project is expected to proceed. However, it is not clear what action will be required to achieve SAB support and when final approvals are likely to be granted.

The CNIM-led consortium had submitted proposals along with two other groups in September 2016 for the waste-to-energy project, which is planned to be developed under a design, build, finance, operate and transfer model.

The proposed facility will be located in the Kabd area, about 25 kilometres from Kuwait City, and will occupy an area of about 500,000 square metres. The project is planned to have an initial capacity of 3,275 tonnes a day (t/d) and will treat up to half of the country’s municipal waste.