Electric Power System Profile in Kuwait: Electricity and Water Generation, Fuel Consumption, and Cost Estimation

The purpose of this study is to enhance the sustainability of the electric power system for the State of Kuwait by helping establish an integrated model that links electricity generation, water production, fuel consumption, and the associated cost. By analyzing and collecting data from separate resources for 2014, various conclusions are drawn. Most importantly is the notable impact of the dilemma Kuwait faces regarding excessive water production rates and, consequently, the maintainability of huge water storage facilities, as water and electricity production are very closely related and the electricity demand varies greatly over the course of a year, whereas the water demand stays relatively the same. The solution to this problem is the establishment of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) interconnected water grid similar to the already established electricity grid. The study extends the 1-year period to include the monthly fuel consumption and price and the total fuel cost of the period from 2010 until the end of 2015, from which it is observed that Kuwait relies primarily on heavy fuel oil (as a base load fuel) for power generation, followed by natural gas. Crude oil consumption has steadily decreased throughout the years, whereas gas oil consumption has increased, as crude oil is a valuable export and evidence has been presented supporting the apparent move toward consuming greener fuels. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the fuel consumption data against prices is conducted in which no definitive fuel allocation method is found to exist.