Iraqis came together on Sunday to agree on their country’s most pressing needs, and send a message to the international community on what issues should be prioritised after 2015.

With only two years remaining before the deadline of the Millennium Declaration Goals (MDGs), the UN is consulting with a wide range of Iraqi civil society, persons living with disabilities, academia, women and youth groups to add their voices to the global conversation on what issues the international community should prioritise beyond 2015.

“The importance of making this a civil society-led process cannot be understated,” explained Jacqueline Badcock, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Iraq. “The concerns of the most vulnerable, persons living with disabilities, women and youth are often drowned out. This series of consultations has ensured the voiceless are given a voice.”

The MDGs were established in 2000 to respond to the world’s greatest development challenges. They set concrete targets around which global efforts could be mobilised. Despite an increase in the level of income in Iraq, significant improvements are needed to address the needs of vulnerable groups including unemployment, gender-equality, food-security and environmental sustainability.

Iraq’s Minister of Planning, Dr. Ali Shukri, noted “We have made excellent progress in mapping and measuring progress related to the MDGs in Iraq. We look forward to working with our partners in the UN Development Programme to continue strengthening Iraq’s ability to track progress and identify where more work needs to be done.”

The UN designed the consultation process in Iraq to specifically hear from those who have traditionally been excluded from or underrepresented in the development process. Agreeing on priorities for a new global development agenda must be based on an open, inclusive, transparent process hearing from private individuals, to complement on-going inter-governmental discussions.

Civil society groups made the process possible by reviewing and validating recommendations from consultations held in Basrah, Baghdad and Erbil, on employment generation, political inclusion, access to basic services, and the management of natural resources.

(Source: UNAMI)

Kartet, a subsidiary of the Turkish conglomerate Karadeniz Holding, has reportedly re-applied for a licence to export 200MW from Turkey to Iraq.

According to the report from Argus, such exports ceased in 2011, but Kartet has applied to export power through the 154kV Turkey-Iraq power interconnector. The regulator EPDK will give other firms until 20th May to apply for the licence; if there is more than one bidder, grid operator Teias will put the business out to tender. Bidding firms would also likely need to have an agreement with the Iraqi government for exports.

Nuray Atacik, head of commercial operations at Karadeniz Holding, told Reuters:

“We’ve been in talks about this for a long time. The main target is to sell electricity to Mosul.“

(Sources: Argus, Reuters)

AIN reports that Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity has outlined 11 new schemes to expand the electricity network in the Babel province through 2013.

The Ministry is reported to have said that it is planning to start five projects that will “extend the sources to feed the minor electricity stations in Babel.”

The plans also include six projects that will extend the 11kV electricity power lines from these stations.

(Source: AIN)

A state-owned Russian company is said to be in talks with Iraqi officials on the resumption of work at the Yusifiya power station of southern Baghdad.

According to a report from AIN, a company identified as “Ross Tej” (sic) said:

“The talks included the cooperation in the electric power sector and the possibility of resuming the establishment of the second phase of Yusifiya electro-thermal station.

“The project also involves the installation of six electric generators of 210 megawatt each.“

The first phase of the project has already been completed at cost of $ 550 million.

(Source: AIN)

Iraq’s cabinet has approved a $1.05-billion contract with Greek power plant builder Metka, a subsidiary of the Mytilineos Group, for the construction of a combined cycle gas power plant in Anbar.

According to Sky News Arabia, the station will have the capacity of 1,642 megawatts, and it is to be completed within 32 months.

Reuters reports that the four generating units were purchased from General Electric in a contract signed in 2008.

(Source: Aswat Al Iraq, Sky News Arabia, Reuters)

The new al-Hayrat [Khayrat] power plant in Karbala was officially opened on Friday.

At a ceremony to mark the event, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Hussein al-Shahristani, thanked the Turkish company Calik Energy for completing the project successfully and on time.

Ahmet Calik (pictured), CEO of Calik Holdings, said:

“Al Hayrat energy power plant has a strength of 250 megawatts. It will serve the Iraqi people for decades to come.“

Other reports say the plant has a capacity of 1,250 MW, and is Iraq’s biggest.

Calik is building 2,000 MW of power generation capacity in Iraq.

(Source: World Bulletin)

Avantha Group company CG (Crompton Greaves) has been awarded a $60-million contract for the turnkey construction of four high voltage GIS substations by the Electrical Transmission Project Office of the Ministry of Electricity (MOE) in Iraq.

The company will design, manufacture, deliver and install the substations, thus helping upgrade and reinforce the existing 132 kV electricity transmission grid.

This win showcases the widened product scope and extended capabilities of CG that enable the company to offer optimal solutions to customers who are looking for integrated systems in smart power transmission. The technological up-gradation will help reach efficient power supply to end customers.

The delivery will include all electrical engineering works, 12 power transformers, medium voltage and high voltage Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) and SCADA/control and protection systems for the high voltage substations. The project is expected to be completed by August 2014.

Laurent Demortier (pictured), CEO and Managing Director of Avantha Group Company CG, said:

“We thank the Ministry of Electricity in Iraq for renewing their trust in CG, which has supported Iraq for the last 25 years and helped build its electrical infrastructure. CG has supplied high quality, reliable T&D products and has a successful track record of building similar substations in the Middle East region. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Ministry in Iraq as a long-standing partner.“

(Source: Avantha)

The 2013 Goldman Environmental Prize has been won by Iraqi engineer Azzam Alwash, for his work on the revival of the Iraqi marshes.

Giving up a comfortable living and family life in California, Azzam Alwash returned to war-torn Iraq to lead local communities in restoring the once-lush marshes that were turned to dust bowls during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

The Mesopotamian marshlands in southern Iraq are known by many as the birthplace of civilization. Situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the area was once an oasis of aquatic wildlife filled with lush reed beds, water buffalo, lions, foxes and otters. It was also one of the world’s most important migratory flyways for birds.

In the mid-1990s, Saddam Hussein burned, drained and poisoned the area in retaliation of Shiite Arabs, who had staged uprisings following the Kuwait invasion and fled to the marshes for refuge. The wetlands once known as the Garden of Eden turned to dust bowls, driving out the descendants of ancient Sumerians who had inhabited the area for thousands of years.

Motivation

As a young boy in Iraq, Azzam Alwash spent many days out in the marshes with his father, who was head of the irrigation department in the area during the early 1960s. He fondly remembers looking over the side of the boat into very clear water, watching large fish dart away, and spending precious time with his busy father whose work often required his presence in the field.