KUWAIT: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) organized on Tuesday a visit to the Shagaya Renewable Energy Complex for ambassadors and chargé d’affaires from the European Union member states in Kuwait.
Acting Executive Director of the Energy Research Center at the Institute Dr Ahmed Al-Mulla said that the visit comes as part of preparations for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) which will start in Dubai at the end of November. Al-Mulla added that the visit also comes in the context of Green Diplomacy Week 2023, an initiative organized by the European Union with the aim of promoting just transition in relation to the energy sector globally.
He explained that the Shagaya Renewable Energy Complex is an ambitious plan developed by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. The plant has a capacity of 70 megawatts in the first phase of the project, which consists of three technologies: solar thermal energy, photovoltaic and wind energy. He predicted that the production capacity of the plant will reach 4,500 megawatts when the second and third phases of the project are completed.
Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Kuwait, Anne Koistinen, said that this visit reflects the Union’s commitment to addressing climate change and the urgent need to shift to renewable energy sources.
Koistinen added that the European Union aims to generate 45 percent of its energy from renewable energy sources by 2030, noting that Kuwait has a huge potential in the field of solar energy and is characterized by a geographical location in terms of economy and investment. Kuwait can meet the growing global demand for green and stable energy, she said, noting that the European Union can help it in this area.
For his part, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Kuwait, Miguel Aguilar, expressed his happiness with this visit at this important moment when countries are preparing for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, stressing the need to unite ranks and coordinate efforts among all in order to achieve positive results. "European companies have been present since the beginning of Kuwait’s plans to diversify the economy away from dependence on fossil fuels,” Aguilar said stressing his country’s readiness to continue this cooperation during the next stage in order to help promote renewable energy initiative in the country. — KUNA