In recent years, citizens and expatriates in Kuwait have grown accustomed to news of power cuts

, potential power cuts and power malfunctions at power stations, as well as sporadic transformer breakdowns. The number of these always rises before and during the summer season, along with the number of statements from Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) officials reporting periodic maintenance work.

These continuous problems raise a number of questions, principally how long the MEW intends to continue with its adoption of this approach and whether it has failed to address the principal causes of the electricity crisis. They also raise questions about the capabilities of the state, whose incompetence makes it impossible for engineers and technicians to implement radical solutions.

One MEW official said that the main reason behind the crisis is the population increase combined with the lack of sufficient power production facilities. Another insider asserted that the primary cause of the problem lies in the outdated power station equipment, while a third blamed the frequent power cuts on the lack of a working plan to ensure that previous mistakes are avoided.

A large number of major power cuts have taken place in Kuwait in the past couple of years and the incidence of such blackouts seems to be rising, as does the number of fires and explosions in power transformers. These facts raise questions about whether the power stations and transformers that break down do so due to outdated equipment or power overloads.

Al-Qabas newspaper suggested that the MEW should conduct exhaustive studies to assess the current condition of the country's power plants and transformer in order to devise an effective and practical maintenance plan. After that, it should move to take similar steps with the distribution network in order to ensure that the country's power infrastructure is fully prepared and ready for a busy summer season.

The ministry should take two new steps to end the crisis, the paper suggested: first, it should establish small power plants on an annual basis, and secondly it should look into utilizing alternative energy sources, such as solar or wind power. In addition, it must repair the problems at the country's outdated power plants in order to bring an end to these continuous problems.

Kuwaittimes