KUWAIT CITY, May 22: ‘Programmed power outages’ have become the ‘bitter medicine’ for the electricity crisis amid the ongoing heat wave the country is experiencing. The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy resorted to the programmed power outage for the third consecutive day on Thursday, with an expanded scope -- 56 residential areas, five industrial areas and three agricultural areas. This is an increase of 12 areas compared to Wednesday, when the number of areas affected by power outages reached 51. In a related development, the electricity load indicator crossed into the red zone; recording 16,858 megawatts -- an increase of 505 megawatts, compared to 16,350 megawatts on Wednesday.

In this context, sources from the ministry revealed that units currently under maintenance have a total production capacity of 2,700 megawatts. They affirmed that the ministry is working hard to complete the maintenance of these units soon to bring them back into service, which will contribute to the stability of the electricity grid and alleviate the current burdens resulting from the high temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius.

Sources expect a decrease in loads during the weekend due to the closure of government buildings, especially schools, which consume large amounts of electricity. They stressed the need to continue implementing rationalization mechanisms, particularly during peak hours, as one of the main solutions to the crisis. They indicated that the ministry is keen on communicating with customers to inform them about the power outage schedule through the Sahel application, so they can take the necessary precautions at home in the event of a power outage. The ministry announced Thursday that it may be forced to cut off power in some parts of certain agricultural, industrial and residential areas due to the high power consumption; in addition to ongoing maintenance work on some electricity generation units, in preparation for operating them at full capacity to maintain the stability of the country’s electrical system.

By Mohammad Ghanem
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff