Specialised project execution for Kuwait’s power and water sectors

Kuwait

Christian Rugland, president of Engineering & Maintenance International at Bilfinger, talks to The Energy Year about the company’s growing footprint in state-sponsored energy projects and investing in Kuwaiti talent for long-term business continuity. Bilfinger provides industrial consulting, engineering, manufacturing and plant expansion and maintenance services.

What is Bilfinger’s footprint in Kuwait today, and how important is the country in the company’s portfolio?
Bilfinger has built a strong presence in Kuwait over the past 40 years and has demonstrated its capabilities through successful project execution focused on specialised maintenance and rehabilitation in the power and water sectors, particularly with the Ministry of Electricity & Water & Renewable Energy (MEWRE).
To strengthen our position, we are expanding into key areas under various ministries, especially in the oil and gas sector. The same applies to MEWRE, with which we are extending our footprint, having recently won a maintenance and repair contract for distribution networks, which will enhance our standing in the water and power industry. This recent success will also open us up to further opportunities.
Overall, Kuwait remains a high-potential market for us with sustained investments in infrastructure and energy. It is strategically important within our Middle East portfolio, with significant maintenance tenders across all industries. Additionally, we are broadening our service scopes with the K-companies for long-term growth.

Where does Bilfinger see the most immediate opportunities for engineering, maintenance and technology services in Kuwait?
Bilfinger is pursuing opportunities in core and adjacent areas, including engineering, maintenance, special services and technology. We see strong potential in areas where we have existing experience, including inspection, repair and overhaul of gas systems, as well as flue gas chimney repair and boiler repair and rehabilitation. These services align directly with ongoing advancements in the power and water sectors, as well as maintenance needs at large-scale facilities such as Mina Al Ahmadi.
In parallel, we are obtaining qualifications with the K-companies for our services. This includes expanding our scope to broader maintenance categories, as well as securing a place among approved participants in emerging technologies tied to energy transition projects, ensuring we are well-positioned for long-term strategic contracts.
Regarding oil and gas, immediate opportunities for Bilfinger may involve joint ventures or other teaming arrangements with major contractors or international companies. Projects often come as packages, covering all scopes of work, including maintenance.

Are you planning on introducing any new technologies in Kuwait, such as the deaerator systems already launched in Saudi Arabia?
Potentially, yes. Such technologies have proven to improve plant reliability, but we need first to assess whether they are accepted and could be approved by the relevant Kuwaiti authorities and end users. Kuwait has different rules and regulations for the adoption of new ideas and technologies. We can make proposals to our major clients, such as the MEWRE and the K-companies, after understanding their technical specifications, qualification processes and approval requirements.

Tell us about Bilfinger’s Net Zero Approach, its implementation in Kuwait and your outlook on the country’s alternative energy sphere.
The Net Zero Approach is an overarching value proposition that positions Bilfinger as a sustainability partner. We are closely monitoring KPC’s investments in sustainability and the decarbonisation of upstream, refining and petrochemical activities. KPC has plans to balance oil production and low-carbon goals, and to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050. Bilfinger, with its comprehensive offering mix, can support them in achieving their objectives.
Regarding the opportunities we see in the alternative energy space in Kuwait, our Energy Transition delegation toured the Middle East in March 2025. The move is a testament to Bilfinger’s commitment to becoming a key player in Kuwait’s energy transition.
So far, we have designed and built solutions for hydrogen, waste-to-energy and CCUS pilot projects, which are scalable. We are aiming to target other opportunities, such as market analyses and technical or commercial feasibility studies. We also plan to participate in the integration of a planned 25-GW hydrogen project with carbon capture from gas processing, and we are targeting an MSW [municipal solid waste] facility project with zero liquid discharge for improved water sustainability and environmental compliance.

What are your strategic priorities in Kuwait for the coming years?
Bilfinger remains focused on expanding its engineering operations in Kuwait in a sustainable and impactful way. We fully recognise the importance of local content and are committed to actively engaging and developing national talent.
Over the next two years, our strategic priorities include increasing the number of Kuwaiti professionals in our team and fostering collaborations with domestic academic and technical institutions to create a steady talent pipeline. We also seek to enhance knowledge transfer from our experienced international departments to nurture our Kuwaiti team and scale our engineering operations by combining in-country resources and our global engineering solutions.
We aim to expand our strong foothold in Kuwait to ensure the country’s energy and infrastructure sectors can develop with international expertise and best practices.
In this context, we have established our training centre at PAAET [Public Authority for Applied Education and Training]. The facility is equipped with advanced PLC [programmable logic controller] skids designed to provide hands-on training and practical experience in process automation and control systems.
The skids simulate real industrial processes and are integrated with sensors, actuators and HMI [human-machine interface] systems. This setup enables trainees to gain in-depth knowledge of programming, troubleshooting and operating PLC-based systems in a safe and controlled environment. We have already successfully conducted multiple training sessions for both college staff and students.

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