Kuwait's Shagaya Phase 3 solar programme covers at least 4,500 MW in four zones, and by November 2026 only one zone, the 1,100 MW Zone 1, had a selected developer. A consortium of Masdar and Fouad AlGhanim & Sons was chosen in August 2026 under a planned 30-year power purchase agreement with the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy. Signing had not been reported.
Zone 2 in evaluation
At least three consortia submitted bids on 26 July 2026 for the 500 MW Zone 2, led by Masdar with Al-Ghanim, ACWA with AEPC, and EDF Renewables with Al-Kharafi and KOWEPO. Bids had been due by 30 April 2026 after an extension. MEED estimates that the Zone 1 and Zone 2 contracts would add about US$2 billion to power-sector awards. Zones 3 and 4 had not been tendered.
Two targets, one programme
The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects aligns the programme with a 2030 target of 15% renewable energy, a goal the International Energy Agency says was set in 2012. MEED reports a different goal, 22,100 MW of installed renewable capacity by 2030. The two are different measures, and the 22,100 MW figure comes from trade press.
Grid pressure in the background
The minister reported a summer 2026 peak load of 17,540 MW, about 70 MW below summer 2025. The ministry is also negotiating a 1.5 GW battery programme, with a 500 MW first phase, and MEED reports the first facilities are expected to be operational by summer 2027.
Where suppliers to the solar zones should focus, who holds the ministry's other major contracts, and what to watch through 2027 are set out in the full report. The full report, Ministry of Electricity Water and Renewable Energy: Utility Account Brief, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Ministry of Electricity Water and Renewable Energy Utility Snapshot.