Kuwait to spend $27bn on power

Kuwait plans to spend 7.5 billion dinars ($27 billion) through 2014 to develop its water and power infrastructure, a government utility official said on Monday.

Suhaila Marafi, director of studies and research at Kuwait's ministry of electricity and water said the country would also need to double its electricity capacity by 2020, noting power was a bigger concern compared with water capacity.

"The ministry will spend 7.5 billion dinars for the entire sector up to 2014 ... there are different projects," she said at an industry conference in Abu Dhabi.

"Power is a big problem in Kuwait but the water situation is manageable."

Marafi said Kuwait's current capacity stood at around 11,300 MW and power needs called for an additional 10,000 MW over the next 10 years.

Kuwait's water capacity is 390 million gallons per day (MGPD) and it needs 760 MGPD by 2020, she added.

In November, Kuwait's electricity ministry said it would spend about $21.3 billion in the next four years on power and water projects in its 2010-2014 development plan.

The Gulf Arab country also plans to build its first solar power with generation capacity of between 50 to 200 MW and in phases.

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