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A new electricity line from Turkey to Mosul was inaugurated on Saturday, according to a report from AIN.

The Head of the Energy and Services Department at Mosul Provincial Council, Zuhair al-Jobbery, told the agency that the cable will initially transfer 50 MW of power.

After four days of test operations, the line will eventually reach a full capacity of 150 MW, which will help Nineveh "survive through summer season."

(Source: AIN)

The province of Diwaniya is reportedly supplying the owners of private electric generators with free fuel for three months, in order to provide services during summer season.

AIN reports that the fuel will be distributed according to the capacity of the generator, and supplies will be adjusted as required.

Summer is a particularly difficult time for electricity supply, as temperatures soar and demand for power for air conditioning and refrigeration reach a peak.

(Source: AIN)

The Iraq-Japan joint committee began its two-day meeting on Monday in Tokyo, with the aim of improving economic relations between the countries, reports AKnews.

The Iraqi delegation is headed by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari (pictured) and includes representatives from the ministries of trade, oil, finance, agriculture, electricity and health.

The committee also includes representatives of the National Investment Commission and the Federation of Iraqi Trade Chambers.

Hashem Mohammed Hatem, director of the foreign economic relations department in Iraq's Trade Ministry, said in a statement: "The meeting will discuss ways to develop economic, industrial and political relations between the countries in addition to the prospects of cooperation in scientific, technical and investment fields."

The delegation will hold a series of meetings with business people and owners of Japanese companies, and will discuss investment and reconstruction opportunities in Iraq.

(Source: AKnews)

Jawad al-Bazouni, an MP for the National Alliance, has told Aswat al-Iraq that four power generators were found forgotten in storage at the Khor al Zubair port.

After receiving information about them, Bazouni found them during a tour of the port.

Following inspection, it was found that three of the generators entered Iraq in 2005 but were neglected, leading to damage.

He added that one of the generators, with a capacity of 1500 megawatts, was supposed to be installed in the Shatt al-Arab area; the second, a 1250 megawatts unit, was destined for Rumaila; while a third unit of 500 megawatts should have been sent to Najibiya.

The fourth power thermal station was imported in 1988 to be sent to Mosul, which "remained there without convincing reason".

Bazouni commented that "if they were in operation since that time, the electricity crisis in the province could have been solved".

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

Iraq’s future is a 168 megawatt brighter today as the Ministry of Electricity and the Emirati firm Uruk Engineering & Contracting announced that the Taji Power Plant Project is now online and operational.

The Ministry of Electricity had launched a “fast track” program for its power generation projects following the announcement; and the Taji development is the first “fast track” project to have been completed, aided by the ministry’s commitment to facilitate the steps needed to accomplish this task.

Uruk stayed true to its mission less than two years after being awarded the project. It is the first Iraqi-managed firm to bring a power plant online since the program was announced. The company’s leadership took an active role in helping move the project forward by empowering staff to take decisions quickly.

“We believe in our people and in their ability to get the job done,” said Khaled Jamil, a senior director in the company. “Electricity is a basic need today; and our staff should be able to make decisions in a timely manner so we can meet our obligations to the government and to the Iraqi people.”

The 600-strong team of Iraqi nationals, several of whom came to work on the project from across the globe, built the plant on an area of 50, 000 square meters, a unique feat given that utilities projects often require a at least twice this size.

Iraq is drawing detailed maps of areas contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), but is unlikely to clear these areas by a 2018 deadline, says a government official.

“Lack of detailed maps for landmines was one of the major problems and it delayed our mine-clearance efforts because the previous regime planted them randomly,” Deputy Environment Minister Kamal Hussein Latif told IRIN.

“We have teamed up with the ministries of interior and defence since 2011 to start our own survey which will help to identify the exact contaminated areas,” he said.

Despite this, Latif added, the country will not meet the 2018 deadline to clear all landmines and UXO. Iraq set itself the target in 2008 when it joined the Ottawa Convention, under which it committed not to use, produce, acquire or export landmines.

The first province to be mine-mapped is Thi Qar, 400km south of Baghdad, where 98sqkm are confirmed as hazardous. Teams will continue work this year in the most contaminated southern provinces of Basra, Maysan, Muthana and Wasit.

“These areas represent almost 80 percent of the contaminated areas nationwide,” the deputy minister said. “The maps, which we plan to have ready by the end of the year, will help us draw up the best plans and the budget, and identify the number of teams needed and the time required to clear each area.”

Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani at a major energy conference in Erbil yesterday said that Kurdistan’s relations with Turkey in the energy sector have entered a new phase. He expressed his optimism that after his recent visit to Turkey, more political will and understanding will lead to stronger economic relations.

In his speech at the energy conference, the Prime Minister said, “We hope that our natural resources will be a source of prosperity for all the people of Iraq. The presence of Minister Taner Yildiz [Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources] and other Turkish guests is a sign of our cooperation with Turkey in natural resources, and a testament to how we can support this important sector through our historic ties in this region.”

The Prime Minister was speaking at a two-day conference on “Energy and the Kurdistan Region’s Road to Development”. He said, “Because of our policies, we have been able to put the Kurdistan Region on the world map. I have no doubt that we will have an important role in providing energy to the world.”

The governors of Ninevah and Kirkuk provinces participated in the conference. Noting their attendance, Prime Minister Barzani said, “Some other areas in Iraq are following the same path to learn from our expertise, as it is their right to manage their own resources in their governorates, according to the law and Iraq’s federal constitution.”

Turkey’s Minister Yeldiz spoke about the vital trade partnership between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region, which accounts for some 70% of the 11 billion dollars of trade with Iraq. On energy policy, he said, “Turkey’s future energy requirement is 48 – 50 billion cubic metres of gas. Our neighbour has a significant role to play in this.”

He added, “With the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi government, we will develop such projects and we will stand by them when they face problems. We have a multi-directional energy policy, and northern Iraq will not be an exception to this."

Dr Ashti Hawrami, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister for Natural Resources, said in his presentation, “Turkey means for us the access route to monetise oil and gas and create benefits for the Iraqi people.”

Iraq  has announced the names of foreign companies bidding to build a $1 billion, 1,500 megawatt, power plant in western Iraq, according to a report from Reuters:

• South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction;
• Italy's Saipem;
• Greece's Metka;
• Turkey's Gama; and,
• a consortium of Turkey's Calik Enerji and Italy's Techint.

The plant will consist of six units: four gas units and two "thermal" units, deputy minister of electricity, Salam Qazaz told the agency.

The plant is due to be completed in 33 months.

(Source: Reuters)

Iraq is to import 250 megawatts of electricity from the United Arab Emirates in a bid to alleviate the country's electricity shortage.

Electricity Ministry Spokesperson, Musaab al-Mudarres, said the power will be supplied by UAE's Oilfield Services at a price of 7.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

According to the report from Aknews, the spokesman added that the Ministry will annul the contract in the event that the company fails to install and provide electricity within two months, insisted that the company should be providing electricity in July.

(Source: AKnews)

More than $5m (5.8bn IQD) worth of fuel is stolen each month from the amount allocated to three Turkish barges that produce power in Basra, a government investigation has revealed.

According to the report from Aknews, Iraq's Electricity Ministry announced the discovery following an ongoing investigation into fuel theft.

The Inspector General of the Ministry, Alaa Mohiuddin, said during a press conference held at the ministry in Baghdad:

"The investigation is under way about the theft of fuel and it will be submitted to the Office of the Minister and the regulatory authorities when it is completed ... The three Turkish barges are operating in Basra and are provided with free fuel based on a contract signed with the Ministry of Electricity and the Ministry of Oil ... The fuel is stolen by the company responsible for the transfer of fuel waste."

Iraq has spent around $27bn (31.5bn IQD) since 2003 to provide electric power to its citizens, but the national network is only capable of providing electricity for just a few hours a day.

Iraq needs at least 15,000 MW to meet the high demand for energy but currently is capable of producing only 7,000 megawatts.

(Source: AKnews)