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Baghdad, July 6 (AKnews) –
The Iraqi electricity ministry announced the deal today, saying that the project is expected to be completed in 21 months.
The establishment of the plants is part of the government’s bid to plug national grid shortages – a central gripe in the nationwide wave of public protests earlier this year – which leave some provinces with just eight hours of national power per day.
With summer temperatures often soaring over 50 degrees Celsius, demand for electricity in Iraq during this period is estimated at around 14,000 MW.
According to government figures, the energy currently available to Iraq stands at around 9,000 MW.
In 2010, several civilians were killed in clashes with the police when angry protestors took to the streets of al-Basra to demonstrate against the government as national electricity supplies left them with just four hours of power a day.
Former Electricity Minister Karim Washid was forced to step down due to mounting public pressure.
The federal Ministry of Electricity announced at the beginning of February its intention to launch licensing rounds for investment in the country’s electricity sector in order to meet the demands of the summer months.
The licensing rounds are part of a government scheme to raise the national electricity generating capacity to 27,000 MW over the next four years with annual allocations of between $3bn and $4bn.
Iraq’s acute shortage of electricity stems from its generating plants and power lines, badly neglected during more than three decades of economic sanctions, successive wars and more recently, targeted by insurgent groups.
Electricity ministry spokesman Mosaab al-Muhandis told AKnews that under the terms of the deal, the German company developing the five news Nineveh power plants will be paid in full one year after the completion of the project. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The Iraqi electricity ministry announced the deal today, saying that the project is expected to be completed in 21 months.
The establishment of the plants is part of the government’s bid to plug national grid shortages – a central gripe in the nationwide wave of public protests earlier this year – which leave some provinces with just eight hours of national power per day.
With summer temperatures often soaring over 50 degrees Celsius, demand for electricity in Iraq during this period is estimated at around 14,000 MW.
According to government figures, the energy currently available to Iraq stands at around 9,000 MW.
In 2010, several civilians were killed in clashes with the police when angry protestors took to the streets of al-Basra to demonstrate against the government as national electricity supplies left them with just four hours of power a day.
Former Electricity Minister Karim Washid was forced to step down due to mounting public pressure.
The federal Ministry of Electricity announced at the beginning of February its intention to launch licensing rounds for investment in the country’s electricity sector in order to meet the demands of the summer months.
The licensing rounds are part of a government scheme to raise the national electricity generating capacity to 27,000 MW over the next four years with annual allocations of between $3bn and $4bn.
Iraq’s acute shortage of electricity stems from its generating plants and power lines, badly neglected during more than three decades of economic sanctions, successive wars and more recently, targeted by insurgent groups.
Electricity ministry spokesman Mosaab al-Muhandis told AKnews that under the terms of the deal, the German company developing the five news Nineveh power plants will be paid in full one year after the completion of the project. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
