By John Lee.

The Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) has approved the applications of two Turkish companies, Aksa and Kartet, to export electricity to Iraq.

The two companies will have the “equal rights” to export power to the Mosul region of Iraq, using the existing 154 kilovolt (kV) PS3-Zakho power transmission line.

They will export around 2 billion kilowatt-hours annually.

Kartet, a subsidiary of the Turkish conglomerate Karadeniz Holding, used to supply electricity to Iraq between 2003 and 2008, but security issues and a payment row reduced sales.

Hasan Köktaş, the head of the EPDK, said that the Turkish exports of power to Iraq are worth an estimated 400 million Turkish Liras ($212 million).

(Source: Hurriyet Daily News)

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Council of Ministers has ruled that the Ministry of Oil is to supply the owners of private electricity generators with fuel from 1st June to 30th September.

Owners will receive 30 litres of gasoil per KVA of generator capacity each month.

(Source: AIN)

By John Lee.

Azzaman reports that French company Alstom has started work on a new power plant in Diyala.

The 730 megawatts plant will be one of he largest in the country, and is being built at a cost of $450 million.

Electricity Minister Abdulkarim Aftan, accompanied by representatives from Alston, laid the foundation stone for the project last week.

The project is planned to be completed within 18 months.

(Source: Azzaman)

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)