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The Iraqi government has decided to increase the fund for importing electricity to $1.7 billion, according to a report from AKnews.

Government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh (pictured) said the increase was made following a request from the Ministry of Electricity.

(Source: AKnews)

KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani announced a strategic, tripartite energy agreement yesterday between companies from the Czech Republic, Turkey and the Kurdistan Region to build a new power plant.

The agreement brings together the Czech Export Bank, Czech company PSG International, Turkey’s Renaissance Construction and KAR Group, the Kurdistan Region’s largest company, to build and finance the power plant.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Barzani described the progress that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had made over the years in meeting the electricity and energy demands of its citizens.

He said, “We are continuing our efforts to achieve more progress; we are taking steps to further modernise the electricity sector, and we will continue these efforts until we can provide all the necessities of our dear citizens in this sector throughout the region.”

The Czech Republic’s Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Kuba, who is leading a large business delegation to Kurdistan, said that he was impressed with the continued economic growth and stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral ties with the KRG.

Minister Kuba said, “Today, we do have a number of Czech companies doing good business in Kurdistan, however, there are many more opportunities for further engagements; we are here to explore those opportunities.” He also commended the KRG’s efforts to empower the private sector, saying the results had produced notable success.

This article was written by Ahmed Younis, Khalid Waleed and Mustafa Mohammed, and was originally published by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, iwpr.net. It is reproduced by Iraq Business News with permission. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Residents of Iraq’s volatile Nineveh province say they are cautiously optimistic that their lives will get better because Sunni Arab and Kurdish politicians have decided to work with rather than against one another.

After Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003, this northern province became one of the most dangerous places in the country, despite American, Iraqi and Kurdish efforts to crush the Sunni insurgents and al-Qaeda militants who made Nineveh their base.

Security is still a serious issue, along with poor public services and high unemployment, and residents blame many of the problems on continued animosity between local Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders.

The Arabs have accused Kurdish leaders and their “peshmerga” troops of abuses and discrimination against non-Kurds. They have also accused the Kurdish authorities of seeking to incorporate Nineveh into the Kurdistan Region to the north.

Kurdish politicians argue that it is their community that has been persecuted, and that Sunni Arab insurgents have killed several thousand of them in the provincial capital Mosul in recent years.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Head of Foreign Relations on Wednesday received Slovakia's Ambassador to Iraq, Miloslav Nad, to discuss the upcoming establishment of a Slovakian representative in Erbil.

“The Government of the Republic of Slovakia is committed to further strengthen its relations with Kurdistan Regional Government,” said the Ambassador. He highlighted the development and progress being achieved in the Kurdistan Region in various fields, saying “Our government is in the process of opening an honorary consulate in Erbil very soon.”

Minister Mustafa welcomed the news, noting, “Opening a representation will allow you to discover more of Kurdistan and witness the vast opportunities for Slovakian investment and business that exists in Kurdistan.” He went on to highlight a variety of fields, especially agriculture and tourism.

The Ambassador also talked about the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the European Union and Iraq this month. “Iraq is taking a positive step toward establishing stronger political and economical relations with European Union, and we as a member of the European Union support such a memorandum,” he said.

Ambassador Nad also touched on the Syrian Kurdish refugees receiving shelter and assistance in a camp in Dohuk province, noting the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) and UN’s assistance for the displaced people. The ambassador discussed a planned trip to see some clean water projects that the Slovakian Government is carrying out there.

The Slovakian Ambassador pointing out that the overall security situation in Iraq is getting better, and he was particularly impressed with the level of security that has been maintained in Kurdistan.

Both sides went on to talk about the importance of enhancing political, economic and cultural relations between Slovakia and Kurdistan Region, highlighting a number of specific projects such as a joint Kurdish, Slovakian the Czech Republic business partnership for electricity production in Kurdistan.

(Source: KRG)

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.”