Fire at Kuwait's Shagaya Renewable Energy Complex: Limited Damage and Ongoing Investigation

KUWAIT. NOV 29 (KUNA) .The Kuwait lnstitute for Scientific Research announced that firefighters extinguished a imited fire atthe solar power unit ofAl-Shagaya Renewable Energy Complex on Friday.The fire was put out and no human losses were reported.

KISR's Executive Director of the Marketing and CommercialDperaions Sector Abdulmohsen AlHaroun said in a press statement AlHaroun, however noted that the blaze caused limitedmaterial damage to the site.

Initial findings suggest the fire may have started from a transformer or switchgear issue, possibly involving an explosion. The exact cause is pending investigation. Electrical fires are often linked to using underqualified workers, which can lead to errors and serious incidents.

Shagaya 50MW CSP project is the first commercial CSP plant in Kuwait. Developed by KISR, the project took on an EPC contract with a consortium consisting of Spanish company TSK and Kuwait’s Kharafi National in 2015. Shagaya CSP Plant will produce 180GWh/year with a total area of 250 hectares and reduce the emission by more than 81,000 tons of CO2/year.

The project includes contributions from multiple international and local firms. Specifically:

1. Developer: Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) leads the development efforts.

2. Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC): Companies like TSK Electronica from Spain and Kharafi National, a local Kuwaiti company, were involved in constructing the facility.

3. Consultants: Germany's Fichtner and Lahmeyer International played roles in planning and optimizing renewable energy solutions for Shagaya.