CEO of Kuwait Petroleum eyes new direction

Saad Al-Shuwaib, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has a new plan - he's said the company is looking at ways to increase the use of solar power.

This move is in line with the world's trend to use alternative energy to conserve natural resources. The news was announced at the International Conference for Alternative Energy Applications held at Marriott Courtyard hotel.

Al-Shuwaib said that KPC was reviewing various studies on the use of solar energy amid increasing global demands and the use of alternative energy, Arabian Business reported.

Kuwait, which is an OPEC member, has one of the world's highest per capita power consumption rates.

Al-Shuwaib told KUNA News Agency that the company saw solar energy as "a vital resource due to the enormous amount of consumption in the region."

His comments follow news last month that Kuwait was planning to call a tender next year for a solar energy plant, and aims for five percent of total supply from renewable energy by 2020.

"Solar energy in Kuwait is promising and various projects will benefit from it," KUNA quoted the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Water, Meshaan al-Otaibi, as saying. Otaibi did reveal the intended capacity of the plant, The Straits Times reported last month.

The Gulf state has said that it plans to boost power capacity to around 16,000 megawatts from 10,000 MW by 2012.

The world's fourth-largest oil exporter is facing rising energy demand and has experienced power cuts, especially during the hot summer months when air conditioning use rises.

Back in February, Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah told daily newspaper al-Watan that the country was also considering developing nuclear power with the help of a French firm to meet demand for electricity and water desalination.

 

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