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By Brenda Stoter for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Berma, 26, lies in a white hospital bed in the female burn unit in Erbil. Her body lies in an uncomfortable position — because her legs are not allowed to touch the bed — and her eyes show she’s in a lot of pain. Her husband and four children are nowhere to be found; only her best friend stays with her the whole time. The friend softly caresses Berman’s head, the only place on Berma’s body that has no burn marks.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is relatively safe, its economy is flourishing and it is regarded in the West as a liberal haven in an often conservative region. But since the fall of Saddam Hussein, there has been an alarming trend — more than 1,000 women have died after setting themselves on fire. Berma is one of the young women who probably burned herself, although she will never admit it.

“One day, the family of my husband came along for a picnic in the village. We ate a snack and drank some tea. It was a nice day. At home, I washed the cups and spoons in the kitchen. All of a sudden I got really cold," she whispers. “So that’s why I turned on the heating stove. When I put the kerosene in the stove, I forgot to cut off the electricity. The thing exploded and I caught fire. It was an accident."

In Iraqi Kurdistan, and Kurdish parts of Turkey, self-burning is known as the usual method of suicide attempt by Kurdish women. Often, it is a way out of abusive situations, like domestic violence or social injustice. Therefore, in Iraqi Kurdistan it is classified as violence committed against women.

When she is being asked if she is happy with her husband, Berma pauses for a brief second. “I was 16 when I married him. No, it was not a forced marriage. He was a friend of my cousin." She avoids the eyes of her friend.

Rosh, a male nurse in the female burn department, says the story about the stove is probably false. Lack of electricity means that every house has a plentiful supply of oil and while some cases may be accidents, the nature and scale of the injuries suggest that most major burn cases are deliberate. “It almost looks like a code: When a woman mentions the stove, we all know that it was self-inflicted. We cannot do anything about it, unfortunately."

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)

The UN in Iraq Goes Green: Taking a trip with the ‘Renewable Energy Travelling Roadshow’

The latest installation at the UN compound in Baghdad is big, blue, and rather pungent. It is also the first step towards a greener and more sustainable UN in Iraq. The large contraption sits in the garden under the trees. It is a biodigestor, a simple but highly effective container that processes manure and kitchen waste to produce organic fertilizer and biogas for cooking.

With the inauguration of the biodigestor on 18 April, the UN made a firm commitment to going even greener, a commitment that fits with the Organization’s global goal to reduce its carbon footprint.

Since a landmark speech in 2007, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, has pushed for the UN to lead by example on environmental issues. With offices across the world, the UN is well aware that working for peace and prosperity for all consumes resources, and leaves a footprint on the environment. As concerns about global warming mount, the UN recognizes that it cannot champion climate change initiatives without looking first to its own backyard.

“Our footprint should be as light as possible,” said Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Ms. Jacqueline Badcock. “By greening our own backyard we hope to improve the UN’s engagement with the environment and work towards a greener Iraq.”

As part of this strategy, the UN in Iraq went on a ‘Renewable Energy Travelling Roadshow’ from 13-22 April. Sponsored by the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America, in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology, and Baghdad University of Technology, the roadshow brought world-renowned Iraqi-Irish National Geographic explorer and renewable energy expert, Dr Taha Rasamm Culhane, to town.

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)

Commemorating Environmental Month and Earth Day in Iraq, the Public Affairs Section (PAS) sponsored Iraqi-American Cultural and Science Envoy Thomas (Taha) Rassam Culhane for a Renewable Energy Road Show in Baghdad and Erbil April 13-22.

Dr. Culhane is known for his exciting record of introducing renewable energy solutions to problems of unreliable electricity and inadequate garbage and sewage disposal throughout the world. Chief among these systems is the biodigester, a modern technological process of transforming kitchen and animal waste into fuel and fertilizer that could have immediate, beneficial worldwide effects, including for Iraqis.

In Baghdad, Culhane addressed audiences at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the University of Technology, the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), and the U.S. Embassy. In Erbil, he met with officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Erbil Governorate, the Province and City of Kirkuk, and the UN Development Program, and gave a lecture to students from Salahaddin University.

A National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Culhane returned to his mother’s native country of Iraq – where he lived as a child and as a university student - after 24 years to showcase various renewable energy technologies including wind and hydro turbines, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels, as well as water purification and tri-fuel generator systems.

As Dr. Culhane announced during his renewable energy presentation at MOST:

“Nobody in Iraq should ever have to go without electricity, light, or energy for cooking and heating once these technologies are available for study and replication.”

(Source: Embassy of the United States)

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)

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)