KUWAIT CITY, August 20 – A powerful step toward healing decades of environmental damage began this week in Kuwait. The country has officially launched the first unit of a large-scale oil lake remediation project — a symbol of recovery, resilience, and international cooperation. Leading the effort is China’s Jereh Group, whose trial operations at the site successfully wrapped up on Wednesday.
This initiative is part of the Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP) — a mission born from the ashes of the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Back then, nearly 700 oil wells were set on fire, leaving behind toxic oil lakes and severely contaminated lands. Today, Kuwait is turning that tragedy into a story of renewal.
Backed by a contract valued at approximately 100 million yuan (USD 14 million), Jereh has been entrusted with delivering a complete environmental solution. Their role includes supplying advanced equipment and technologies capable of safely recovering crude oil from the polluted sites.
“We’re not just cleaning oil; we’re restoring life,” shared Zhuang Guanghua, President of Jereh Group’s Middle East Region. “Representing Chinese energy enterprises, Jereh is proud to contribute to Kuwait’s oil and gas development while protecting its environment. Our work here demonstrates the real-world power of Chinese innovation and service.”
Zhang Hongwei, Director of Jereh’s Middle East Region, emphasized that these advanced Chinese technologies have drastically improved the efficiency of the oil lake recovery. “This isn’t just cleanup — it’s a critical push towards replanting, regeneration, and ultimately, ecological restoration.”
Also present on-site was Liu Xiang, Charge d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, who praised the collaboration. “This is more than a successful project; it’s a model of what cooperation between nations can achieve. China remains committed to working hand in hand with Kuwait in its journey toward environmental recovery and energy reform,” Liu said.
This project doesn’t just erase scars of the past — it sows seeds for a greener, more sustainable tomorrow. And it shows the world what’s possible when nations come together for a shared purpose: the restoration of our planet.
