RESEARCH ARTICLE | JULY 25 2019

Shagaya renewable energy park project 

Gilein Steensma  ; Rubén Román; Craig Marshall; Julián Bermejo; Krishnaswamy Iyer; Salem Al-Hajraf;
Ayman Al-Qattan

AIP Conf. Proc. 2126, 040003 (2019)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5117583

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07 February 2024 19:58:57

 Shagaya Renewable Energy Park Project
Gilein Steensma1, a), Rubén Román1, b), Craig Marshall1, c), Julián Bermejo1, d),
Krishnaswamy Iyer2, e), Salem Al-Hajraf3, f), Ayman Al-Qattan3, g)
1
WorleyParsons España. Avenida Europa 26, 1, 28224 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
2
WorleyParsons Dhafir Tower, Level 13, East Wing Abu Dhabi, UAE
3
Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O.Box 24885 Safat, 13109 Kuwait
a)
Corresponding author: gilein.steensma@advisian.com
b)
ruben.roman@advisian.com
c)
craig.marshall@advisian.com
d)
julian.bermejo@advisian.com
e)
krishnaswamy.iyer@worleyparsons.com
f)
shahraf@kisr.edu.kw
g)
aqattan@kisr.edu.kw

07 February 2024 19:58:57

Abstract. The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has developed Phase I of the innovative Shagaya Renewable
Energy Park, which has an ambitious Master Plan to install approximately 3.2 GWe of renewable power as part of Kuwait’s
commitment to generate 15% renewable energy by 2030. This project, built on 84 km2 in the desert location of Al-Shagaya,
is approximately 100 km west of Kuwait City and comprises multiple renewable technologies as well as interconnection
and site infrastructure. The Project objective is to enable the implementation of renewable alternatives to the use of fossil
fuel resources to generate electricity in an effort to reduce emissions. The project evaluates the requirements of
concentrated solar power (CSP), photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy technologies by testing how to address the challenges
posed by the harsh Kuwaiti desert environment to these different technologies. WorleyParsons was appointed in 2014 as
the Owner’s Engineer and Project Management Consultant to support KISR with project implementation and contracting
and oversight of the Design Build Operate (DBO) contractors through commissioning and the first 2 years of operation.
The project has demonstrated that two of the technologies, PV and Wind, which have now been in operation over a year,
have exceeded the generation predictions. The CSP plant is currently in the final stages of commissioning. This paper
presents an overview of the project with a primary focus on the CSP plant, key Lessons Learned, and the concerted efforts
required to meet clear HSE requirements. Also discussed more briefly are the wind farm and the PV plant given the
increased trend to integrate CSP and PV technologies as synergistic generators or to offset auxiliary loads of the CSP plant.

BACKGROUND
The state of Kuwait is the 10th largest oil producer in the world with 2.792 million barrels per day (mbpd) produced
in 2010, of which 1.394 mbpd were exported to rank Kuwait the 13th largest exporter of crude oil in the world (Kuwait,
2014). Kuwait is 6th in the world in terms of proven oil reserves with a total of 102 billion barrels of crude oil.
Although Kuwait holds 63 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, the country currently imports natural gas
due to increased domestic consumption (EIA, 2013). Electricity is currently generated predominantly by oil and gas,
and one of the objectives of the Renewable Energy program is to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels for electricity
generation and the associated emissions by taking advantage of two other significant resources in the country: solar
and wind energy.

The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has developed the innovative Shagaya Renewable Energy
Project, which constitutes the first phase (Phase I) of an ambitious Master Plan to generate approximately 3.2GW at
the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park. Phase I sets the basis for future renewable energy developments in Kuwait

SolarPACES 2018
AIP Conf. Proc. 2126, 040003-1–040003-11; https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5117583
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1866-0/$30.00

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through the installation of a 50 mega-watt (MW) Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, a 10 MW Photovoltaic (PV)
plant, and a 10 MW Wind Farm. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries will contribute to achieving
Kuwait’s renewable energy goal by building Al-Dibdibah Project (Phase II of Al-Shagaya Park), which involves the
construction of a PV plant that is expected to generate 3150 GWh/year through the full 25-year project lifetime. Phase
III of the Shagaya Park is expected to combine CSP, PV and Wind projects, leading to an installed capacity of up to
3.2 GWe by 2030. The undertaking of Phase III is foreseen to be accomplished through a public-private partnership
between the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) and successful bidders. In Table 2, Phases I and III
are provided in the actual and estimated capacity, and Phase II as the stated objective that it generates 3150 GWh/year
of energy in year 25 of the contract. The corresponding capacity will depend on the actual technology chosen for the
park.

TABLE 1. Three Phases of the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park

Attribute Phase I Phase II Phase III
(Al-Dibdibah Project)
Technology CSP + Wind + PV PV TBD
Power/Energy 50 MWe + 10 MWe + 10 MWe 3150 GWh/year up to 3.2 GWe

The Phase I Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services and the first 6 years of the CSP and PV
plant operation and maintenance (O&M) were awarded to the Spanish company TSK Electrónica y Electricidad under
a Design, Build and Operate (DBO) contract. The EPC services and 6 years of O&M of the Wind Farm were awarded
to a consortium between the Spanish company Elecnor and the Kuwaiti company AlGhanim. WorleyParsons was
awarded the OE/PMC contract, executing the Owner’s Engineering and Project Management role from the Madrid
New Energy Center of Excellence and the PMC/Site Services role from WorleyParsons Kuwait.

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The location of Phase I of the Shagaya Park shares an area of approximately 40 km2 with Phase II, outlined in blue
in FIGURE 1 The remainder of the site, outlined in red, will be occupied by future developments up to the total 84-
km2 surface area.

FIGURE 1. Shagaya Renewable Energy Park Phases I and II (blue) and Phase III (red)

Solar Resource Assessment in Kuwait

The solar resource inputs and the Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) file utilized in the solar generation model
were based on the work reported in the Solar Resource Site Assessment report (Fichtner and GeoModel, 2013). The
TMY data are P50 probability data, which indicate that for any given year there is a 50% probability that the solar
resource meets or exceeds the expected value, and therefore represents the average or expected resource. More
conservative estimates use P90 TMY data, for which during any given year there is a 90% chance that the solar
resources will coincide with that of the TMY or better.
A SolarGIS solar time series of satellite-derived data covering a data period of 14 years (1994-2012) was used for
the study. This time series was validated for representative sites in arid and semi-arid regions to determine data
consistency with similar latitudes and geographical conditions. The estimated solar radiation uncertainty was

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supported by an analysis of aerosols, dust and humidity as the main controlling factors of solar radiation in the region.
The solar resource data were used to estimate long-term monthly and annual statistics of Direct Normal Irradiation
(DNI), the primary parameter of interest for designing and developing a generation model that provides the expected
energy to be produced by a CSP plant, as listed in TABLE 2 and graphed in FIGURE 2. The Global Horizontal
Irradiation (GHI) is the primary parameter for designing and estimating the energy generation of a PV plant. Long-
term annual averages (P50 values) of these key parameters at the site are summarized as follows:

 Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI): 1982 kWh/m2

 Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI): 2089 kWh/m2

TABLE 2. Monthly Statistics of DNI (reproduced from Fichtner and GeoModel, 2013)
Daily
Monthly DNI
DNI
Yearly Minimum Maximum
Average Average
share
(kWh/m2) (kWh/m2)
(%) 2
(kWh/m ) (%) (kWh/m2) (%)
Jan 4.07 126 6.4 83 -34.1 167 32.4
Feb 4.43 125 6.3 90 -28.5 157 25.3
Mar 5.27 163 8.2 113 -30.5 201 22.9
Apr 4.39 132 6.6 98 -25.3 159 20.5
May 4.96 154 7.8 70 -54.4 191 24.1
Jun 7.06 212 10.7 155 -26.9 241 13.7
Jul 7.80 242 12.2 173 -28.5 275 13.6
Aug 7.39 229 11.6 162 -29.3 282 22.9
Sep 6.62 199 10.0 137 -30.8 229 15.5
Oct 5.28 164 8.3 116 -29.3 186 13.6
Nov 4.09 132 6.2 83 -32.8 188 53.0
Dec 3.67 114 5.7 68 -40.6 196 72.6

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YEAR 5.43 1982 100.0 1813 -8.5 2090 5.5

FIGURE 2. DNI: Monthly Statistics (reproduced from Fichtner and GeoModel, 2013). Error bars define daily minimum and
maximum values calculated from monthly data.

Dust and Other Meteorological Conditions

The State of Kuwait is characterized by a desert-type environment with low and erratic precipitation, high
evaporation rates and dry hot climate. Kuwait is classified as dry desert with intensely hot summers (May to
September) and short, cool winters (November to March) with short transitional periods during April and October.
The seasonal temperatures vary considerably, summer temperatures are extremely high, often above 45ºC in July and
August, and winter temperatures during the day can be over 20ºC and fall to 3 or 4ºC during the night (Meteorological

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Department, State of Kuwait). Dust and sand storms are extreme weather events that are common in Kuwait, and they
frequently occur at the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park.
The park is located in a zone of high dust deposition rates, in the range of 350-500 T/km² as can be observed in
FIGURE 3 (Ali M. Al-Dousari, 2014) Dust fallout characteristics within global dust storm major trajectories.
Furthermore, Kuwait experiences about 128 hours of dust/sand storms per year, as well as 405 hours of suspended
dust and 930 hours of haze. Dust storms can occur anytime of the year but they are most frequent during summer, and
less frequently during autumn as shown in FIGURE 4 (Al-Dousari, Jassem Al-Awadhi 2012). Winds at the Shagaya
site can reach a speed of 19 m/s (gust speed), which far exceeds the threshold shear velocity (~0.6 m/s) that is required
to transport a particle of average size (0.4 - 2.0 mm diameter). During the spring season, the contribution of south-
easterly wind increases, to match that of the north-westerly wind. This change is accompanied by a general increase
in wind velocities. The maximum wind speed can reach 29.5 m/s, whilst the maximum reported gust speed has been
recorded as 37.6 m/s (S. Neelamani, 2007). As has been mentioned, strong south-easterly winds can cause very severe
dust storms that can impair visibility to a few metres. Sudden dust storms, common in April, are accompanied by
thunderstorms, and dust from severe dust storms may create low visibilities in locations that are hundreds of kilometres
distant from their point of origin. During the winter season, the main wind is north-westerly; although south-easterly
winds can occur during a period of a few days in winter due to the effect of Mediterranean depressions.

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FIGURE 3. Dust Deposition rate

FIGURE 4. Monthly Average number of dust-storm days in Kuwait (2000-2010)

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 SHAGAYA RENEWABLE ENERGY PARK
KISR, owner of the project, is a governmental Research and Development (R&D) institute established in Kuwait
in 1967. KISR launched its renewable energy program as a core part of its 7th strategic plan. The first phase of the
Shagaya RE Park, developed by KISR, consists of six sub-projects as listed below:
 50 MW dry-cooled CSP plant with 9 equivalent hours of TES and optional fossil-fuel backup for start-up
 10 MW PV Plant using both thin-film and polycrystalline PV technologies
 10 MW Wind Farm
 Shagaya substation, from which electricity is exported to the State of Kuwait national grid
 32.5 km 132 kV overhead power transmission line to carry electricity to the national grid
 Shagaya site infrastructure and access roads

The Wind Farm and the CSP plant (see photo in FIGURE 5, below) are the first of their kind in Kuwait. The entire
project serves as a technology test and regulatory benchmark in the country for these technologies, including the
development of interconnection protocols and grid support for each. The outcomes from the Shagaya Project will
provide the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) and other authorities valuable data for the integration of
renewable technologies in the Kuwait energy mix. In addition to helping reach the target of 15% of Kuwait’s total
expected power generation by 2030, the project will benefit Kuwait by developing specific in-country experience
among Kuwaiti engineers and contractors, reducing emissions compared with existing fossil plants, and reducing
liquid fossil fuel use, which can be more effectively utilized in downstream petrochemical industries.
This paper summarizes the implementation and learnings of the construction of an innovative concept that was
developed by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, of placing utility scale, tested technology into the quite
harsh environment of the Kuwaiti desert. Part of the learnings of the project include the logistics and construction of
the three different Renewable Energy technologies. The scale of the implementation allows for a representative

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assessment of the three technologies under high temperatures, high dust conditions, sand-storms, in the presence of
variable amounts of humidity and aerosols, for later deployment of these technologies at the large scales at which
plants of these technologies are currently being implemented. The project includes research and performance
assessment of CSP, PV and Wind under local climate conditions, including humidity, high temperatures, and
sandstorms (26 per year on average in Kuwait, which is much higher than in neighbouring states).

Shagaya Wind Farm

The Shagaya Wind Farm is connected to the Shagaya Renewable Energy Substation SGRE-A. Wind Farm has a
total gross installed capacity of 10 MW and consists of five (5) wind turbines placed in one (1) row and connected in
three (3) strings to the Substation at a Medium voltage level of 11 kV through an underground cable (TABLE 3).

TABLE 3. Technical Characteristics of the Shagaya Wind Farm

Characteristic Technical Value
Turbines Siemens-Gamesa G97
Rated Power per turbine 2 MWe
Tower height 78.98 metres
Rotor diameter 97 metres
Swept area 7,390 m2
Number of blades 3
Blades length 47.5 metres
Gearbox 1 stage planetary /2 parallel

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 Shagaya PV Plant
For the Shagaya PV plant a fixed structure was selected and used for 5MW of poly-crystalline panels consisting
of 920 strings of Crystalline-Silicon modules, in series of 20 modules, and 5MW of thin film panels that consisted
of 4320 strings of Thin Film copper-indium-selenium modules, in series of 8 modules. Key design aspects are shown
in TABLE 4 below.

TABLE 4. Technical Characteristics of the Shagaya PV Plant

Characteristic Technical Value
Technology Type Crystalline-Si and Thin Film
Contracted Gross Power Capacity 10 MWe
Total PV Installed Capacity 11142 kWp
Crystalline-Si module area 110000 m2
Thin Film module area 45000 m2
Crystalline-Si module power 305 Wp
Thin Film module power 160 Wp
Inverters 20 units
Transformers 10 units

Shagaya CSP Plant

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The Shagaya CSP Plant comprises a solar field (based on parabolic trough technology), a power block with a rated
gross electric capacity of 50 MWe, and molten salt TES with a useable thermal storage capacity of 1200 MWth, and
it utilises the highest number of equivalent storage hours (more than 9) in the MENA region.

FIGURE 5. Shagaya 50MW CSP Plant

All project equipment is commercially-proven in design and operation, and the most up-to-date proven
technologies have been selected to test standard practice in Kuwait conditions. The key design features for the CSP
plant are summarized in TABLE 5 below.

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 TABLE 5. Technical Characteristics of the Shagaya CSP Plant
Characteristic Technical Value
Technology Type CSP Parabolic Trough
Contracted Gross Power Capacity 50 MWe
Minimum Net Annual Energy Generation Capability 170 GWhe/year
Usable thermal capacity of TES 1200 MWth
Number of collector loops 206
Aperture/Length of Solar Collector Assemblies (SCA) 5.77 m / 148.6 m

Significant benefits from Phase I of the Shagaya Park include the lessons learned from developing, designing,
constructing, commissioning and operating the multi-technology plants, the understanding gained for future phases of
the Park, and the experience that is applicable globally for developments in environments similar to those in the
Kuwaiti desert
Although not the main focus of this paper, it is noteworthy that the currently operational PV plant has been
exceeding generation expectations, and the high temperature and dust mitigation options at the Wind Farm are being
tested to determine optimal settings and implementation at the site.
The Shagaya CSP Plant converts solar energy into electrical energy using a solar field made up of 206 loops, each
loop comprising 48 solar collector elements (SCEs) that collect heat from the sun into the synthetic oil heat transfer
fluid (HTF). The SCEs can heat the HTF from 295ºC to 393ºC with parabolic trough collectors (approximate net
aperture area of 673,620 m2). A TES system based on molten salt with 1200 MWth of thermal storage capacity is
incorporated for thermal-unloading and power generation to extend the operation of the plant during low or non-

07 February 2024 19:58:57

radiation hours of the day. The thermal energy is delivered through a Steam Generation System (SGS), consisting of
two 50% capacity steam generation trains, where steam is produced and then sent to a 50 MWe (gross) steam turbine
and generator for electric power production.
The Shagaya CSP Plant connects to the Kuwaiti grid through underground cables to the 132 kV Shagaya substation
(SGRE-A) and from there through a double circuit over-head line (OHL) to the existing 132 kV Shagaya A substation
(SHAG-A), which is located 32.5 km east of the Shagaya Site. This configuration forms part of the existing MEW
transmission system, which is dispatched by the Kuwait National Control Center (NCC). Both the SGRE-A substation
and the 132 kV OHL are part of the Phase I project.

Shagaya Renewable Energy Park Environmental Challenge

The work that was conducted by KISR during project development on resource assessment suggested that the site
would have an adequate resource for the implementation of the three technologies, and the results after more than a
year of operation of the PV and Wind farms have exceeded forecasts. The CSP plant had passed all but one tests prior
to COD in December 2018, and preliminary generation results are positive. For the fixed tilt, 10MW PV plant, two
different panel technologies were tested, with installation of 5MW of thin film technology and 5MW of polycrystalline
panels, to understand their performance under the Kuwait desert conditions. Dust and high temperature mitigation
measures were implemented in the nacelle of the wind turbines, which is also a novel test that will help improve future
windfarm installations in similar environments.

For PV plants, dust can cause a drop in system efficiency due to a drop in the wiring voltage and inverter efficiency.
But more than in PV plants, wind farms are quite affected by the Shagaya Park environment. Operation at extreme
temperature (low and high) conditions may have an impact on drive-train losses, damping, and pitch system response.
The main design difference of the wind turbine for high temperature and dusty environments compared with the
standard version is the cover which involves an improvement in the nacelle’s cooling systems. In extremely dusty
environments, each air inlet to the inside of the nacelle must be carefully designed to prevent damage to the elements
that are housed inside the nacelle. The G97 turbine units are all equipped with both dust-desert and high temperature
kit so dust protection is achieved by reducing the amount of dust that enters the nacelle in the connection between the
blades and the hub, the hub and the nacelle and the openings for cooling the nacelle.

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The dust phenomena explained before can severely impact the CSP plants in two ways: 1) suspended dust, dust storms
and haze limit the amount of solar radiation that reaches the collectors, thus reducing the output as captured in the
measured solar radiation data used in the modelling; and 2) dust that accumulates on the reflective surface and
collectors reduces the amount of solar radiation that can be captured and therefore reduces the amount of energy that
can be generated (as well as increases the cost of cleaning). This loss of captured solar radiation is calculated using an
average soiling factor, which is a combination of the assumed frequency of cleaning and the soiling rate.

CSP Plant Project Delivery and OE/PMC Control

WorleyParsons joined the Shagaya Project on 20 August 2014 to provide KISR with OE/PMC services to ensure
onsite safety, compliance with safety in design, international engineering codes and standards, and reasonable and
independent assurance of contract compliance by the DBO contractors.
The presence of a Project Management Team in Kuwait was crucial to help manage onsite safety to ensure that
the SGRE-A and OHL sub-projects did not cause delays to other subprojects and that construction followed the
engineering developed by the contractors.
WorleyParsons and KISR held alignment sessions in Kuwait to define the key safety and project objectives that
were common to other projects: No harm to people and assets; and on-time and on-budget delivery and plant
commissioning.
When WorleyParsons joined the project, the SGRE-A and OHL subprojects had been signed, while the PV, CSP,
Wind and infrastructure projects were in the Contract Negotiation Stage with the respective preferred Bidders.
WorleyParsons supported KISR by providing technical inputs for those subprojects under negotiation and
incorporated lessons learned from other projects so that specific requirements, especially in the areas of HSE and Risk
Management, were included in the Contracts based on WorleyParsons’ project-specific experience. This early
involvement of the OE during Contract Negotiation resulted in positive inputs for the project.

07 February 2024 19:58:57

During the first stages of the project, some of the Contractors and subcontractors were observed during
construction to have poor HSE cultures with high risk practices, and some contracts failed to specifically mention
HSE requirements to the extent desired by the project. WorleyParsons and KISR developed an Action Plan that
included, but was not limited to, the following:
 Held HSE alignment sessions with the KISR team and Contractors and demonstrated HSE leadership to:
 Monitored HSE closely and followed-up by requesting Contractors to increase HSE supervision.
 Submitted formal warnings by the Owner about stopping field activities if HSE of a Contractor did not
significantly improve.
 Prevented Construction works from commencing until the HSE Plan was approved.
 Imposed early enforcement (contractually) to comply with minimum HSE obligations (for those projects that
were in the Contract Negotiation stage).

Shagaya CSP - Inception

The 6-year contract to Design, Build, Operate and Maintain the Shagaya 50 MW CSP Plant was officially signed
between KISR and TSK on 15 September 2015 and included the provision of EPC and O&M services until 6 years
after the Provisional Commercial Operations Date (PCOD). The project kick-off meeting, held amongst TSK, KISR
and WorleyParsons in November 2015, defined the objectives of the project and obtained alignment on key aspects,
including the scope of work, the execution plan, the schedule review, and the procurement plan. Additionally, an HSE
session and a Risk Workshop were held to increase the HSE/Risk Management perception of all project stakeholders.

Shagaya CSP - Engineering

The engineering was developed according to industry practices applying methods and actions in accordance with
good standards of prudence applicable to the international electricity generation industry. WorleyParsons was
responsible for ensuring that the Project was designed and engineered in compliance with the specifications and other
requirements specified in the DBO Contract.

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 KISR/WorleyParsons and TSK developed a common Master Deliverable Schedule during the KOM to register all
project documentation and their submission dates. HAZOP sessions and design review meetings were held among
KISR/WP and TSK for key engineering packages (e.g., P&IDs, PFDs, H&MB) that could delay further engineering
efforts, resulting in positive outcomes for the project.
Another key aspect of the successful development of the engineering was the importance of common Project Plans,
especially the adherence to document control protocols and tools for avoiding delays and inconsistencies in the
transmittals from DBO Contractors.

Shagaya CSP - Procurement

All equipment and materials utilized in the Project were up-to-date technologies, i.e., of international quality
standards and of proven design for the intended use. A list of approved subcontractors was included in the Contract to
avoid extensive sub-contracting or inexperienced companies in the Country or Technology. If TSK decided to add
additional suppliers, vendors and/or subcontractors, KISR had the right to confirm or deny the approval of any
subcontractor. TSK also prepared a thorough Procurement Plan that was complemented with the Supplier and
Subcontractor Approval Procedure developed by WorleyParsons, which described the general requirements with
which any Subcontractor involved in the project must comply.
WorleyParsons monitored and ensured that inspections were undertaken by TSK according to the Contract and
attended numerous shop inspections for key components of the Plant (e.g., steam turbine, heat exchangers, pumps).
The results of the Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) were satisfactory, and all manufacturers involved in the Shagaya
CSP Project showed high quality standards during the procurement phase.
The main challenges faced during procurement included the lack of familiarity of the main contractor with local
regulations to import material and equipment into the country and with the management of local contractors.

07 February 2024 19:58:57

Shagaya CSP - Construction
The contractor for the earth works of the CSP plant was mobilised in January 2016, and several construction
challenges were tackled by the Project Team for the first large-scale renewable energy project in Kuwait. Although
the Shagaya Project was the first renewable energy project to be connected to the Kuwait Transmission System, a
connection agreement was not in place when the project began, which led to the need for additional coordination
between the utility (MEW) and the project developer (KISR), supported by its engineering representative
(WorleyParsons) and the DBO Contractor (TSK).
Certain requirements were misaligned, such as the specifications and local utility standards. Essentially, the
Kuwaiti interconnection codes had not yet included certain key technical requirements specifically associated with
renewable energy generators.
Other challenges during construction were posed by the remoteness of the site, delays during earthworks due to
the soil conditions and encountering unexploded ordnance, and meteorological conditions (high temperatures during
summer and sand storms). Concrete suppliers were located at significant distances from the plant, which led to delays
in the supply of concrete and some quality issues. The installation of a temporary concrete plant located near the
Project was not deemed necessary by the contractor. During construction planning and the first stages of construction,
it is paramount that the supplies of concrete and water to the site are guaranteed.
Important efforts were made by KISR, WorleyParsons and TSK to improve the HSE standards of the on-site
subcontractors, including intensive HSE training with subcontractors and weekly HSE walk-downs on site to jointly
supervise the progress. A lesson learned was that intense HSE supervision of the local subcontractors was required.

Shagaya CSP - Commissioning, Operation and Maintenance

WorleyParsons, as OE of the Shagaya Project, developed several activities during the Commissioning phase,
including review and approval of all commissioning and testing procedures, functional systems descriptions, and
O&M Manuals. Key elements of WorleyParsons’ role included walk-downs for each system as it was transferred from
construction to the commissioning team, developing the final punch list, and attendance at all key equipment

040003-9
commissioning and functional tests. WorleyParsons specifically attended all mechanical, electrical and I&C tests for
the commissioning of the HTF systems, the steam generation systems, and the TES systems, as well as the steam
turbine and generator. WorleyParsons was also present during plant synchronization on 20 May 2018.

Tests that are standard in the industry, listed in TABLE 6 were conducted as part of the Commissioning process.

TABLE 6. Tests Completed for Shagaya CSP Plant Commissioning

Test Completed for Commissioning

Cold and Hot commissioning systems

Functional commissioning test
Exhaust gas quality at back-up firing stack outlet test
Maximum noise pressure level test
Usable thermal storage capacity of TES test
TES Charging capability at maximum charging load test
Total net power capacity of the plant at operation test (Solar
only mode and TES discharge only mode)
Provisional net generation capability test of the plant
Reliability test run
Performance testing
Seasonal performance test
PAC (Provisional Acceptance Certificate)

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FAC (Final Acceptance Certificate)

Commissioning challenges that were specific to the location were due to meteorological conditions (elevated
temperatures, high wind speeds and associated dust and sandstorms) and reduced irradiation (combination of aerosols,
dust and humidity). During high winds and dust storms, it was necessary to move the solar collectors to the stow
position, which resulted in longer periods of time than expected before the plant could reach the required generation
conditions to complete the tests.

CONCLUSIONS
Kuwait is a country rich in natural resources. In recent history, this primarily implied the exploration and
production of abundant hydrocarbon resources. Kuwait also has tremendous wealth of renewable natural resources
that include wind and solar energy, and the Shagaya project is the first focused step towards exploiting this resource
for the broader benefit of Kuwait.

KISR developed the first Phase of Al Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, after completing studies of the solar and
wind resources, which comprised the construction of a 50 MW CSP plant, a 10 MW PV plant and a 10 MW Wind
Farm. This paper describes the project background and the approaches taken for the successful implementation of
Phase 1 of Al Shagaya and the lessons learned from the perspective of the Owner’s Engineer and the Project
Management consultant, culminating in the following conclusions:

 What is unique about this project is the testing of proven technology under the harsh Kuwaiti desert conditions,
and the transition these technologies provide the State of Kuwait from fossil resources to two ample and
renewable resources in the country, wind and solar energy, enabling the utilization of fossil resources to
applications with added value rather than combusting hydrocarbons for electricity generation.
 Kuwait has good wind and solar resources which have resulted in higher than expected generation from the
Phase I PV and Wind plants and testing of high temperature and dust mitigation options for the Wind Farm is
ongoing.

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  Phase I of the Shagaya Project is a technology and regulatory benchmark for the country, has enabled the
development of interconnection protocols for CSP, PV and Wind energy technologies, and produced valuable
data for the integration of these technologies into the Kuwaiti energy mix.
 Lessons Learned from the grid integration of the renewable energy generators will be useful for future phases
of the Shagaya Park.
 Performance of these three technologies has been tested in the harsh Kuwaiti environment, which includes
dust, aerosols, high temperatures and sand and dust storms. The impact of the environmental conditions on
the different technologies has been described at a high level.
 Phase 1 of the Shagaya Park sets the first material contribution toward helping reach the target of 15% of
Kuwait’s total expected power generation by 2030 with the additional benefit of developing in-country
experience and capabilities.
 This first step contributes to and sets the path for reduced emissions compared with existing fossil fuel plants
and reduced utilization of liquid fossil fuel, which can be more effectively utilized in downstream
petrochemical industries.
 The CSP plant has 9 hours of Thermal Energy Storage (1200 MWth), which currently is the highest number
of equivalent storage hours in the MENA region for a single plant.
 Safety alignment sessions and diligence in the implementation of HSE norms led to improvements in overall
safety on site, including along the access road.
 Lessons learned from developing, designing, constructing, commissioning and operating the multiple
technology plants of Phase I provide excellent input to future phases of the Shagaya Park and are applicable
to other developments under similar conditions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank KISR for allowing this publication and the members of the Shagaya Owner’s

07 February 2024 19:58:57

Engineering Team and the Site Supervision Team for their efforts during the execution of the project.

REFERENCES
1. Kuwait. (2014). Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
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2. U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2013).
Accessed March 2014, http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=ku
3. Fichtner and GeoModel. (2013). Site Assessment of Solar Resource Shagaya Kuwait, Reference No. 80-
03/2013
4. Meteorological Department, State of Kuwait. https://www.met.gov.kw/
5. Ali M. Al-Dousari, Noor Al-Dousari , Ashraf Ramadhan, Modhi Ahmed, Abdilaziz Aba “Assessments of dust
fallout within Kuwait” (2014).
6. Al-Dousari Jassem Al-Awadhi. “Dust fallout in northern Kuwait, major sources and characteristics”. Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (2012).
7. S. Neelamani, Layla Al-Awadhi, Alanoud Al-Ragum and Mane Al-Sudairawi. “Extreme wind speed from
different directions in Kuwait” (2007).

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