New power solutions needed in the Gulf after power cuts
The region has managed – just – to keep on top of rapidly rising demand for electricity. But new solutions will be needed soon, says Robin Mills
On 11 February, Kuwait was struck by a widespread power cut, with lights going off along roads, at hospitals and at the international airport. Outages are common in the Gulf country, with a creaking and outdated grid, but this was unusual for coming in winter, not the peak summer season.Power cuts have been all too frequent in the Gulf in recent years. In January 2014, a major outage shut down Kuwait’s three oil refineries. Saudi Arabia suffered repeated interruptions in 2009 and 2010, striking Jeddah particularly hard. Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also had major problems, particularly in 2010.Yet given the soaring electricity consumption in the six-member Gulf Cooperation C
Also in this section
16 April 2024
US and European oil majors snap up smaller players and look to accelerate development in a region deemed to possess all the key elements for successful CCUS deployment
15 April 2024
Demand for credits seen rising 20% this year despite issues around integrity and standardisation
11 April 2024
Volatile allowance prices and small size of voluntary market undermine ability to drive investment, says Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
8 April 2024
Chevron New Energies is lead investor in funding round by Colorado-based provider of post-combustion capture technology