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The Basrah International Airport (BIA) Director, Mr. Abdulameer Kanim has released the following information regarding leasing of available land space on the Basra Airport footprint:

• The Basrah International Airport (BIA) Director has stated that companies (domestic and international) can lease land within the BIA airport grounds (outside of the USF-I COB limits) for a fee for a term of one or two years. Interested firms will need to supply their own trailers for office/housing/conference needs; supply their own water/sewage/electricity; and supply their own internal security. The cost, as quoted, is $150 per square meter per year, plus an additional 15% (of the total charge) for GOI-provided security (e.g. 1 square meter = $150 per year + $22.50/year for security = $172.50/square meter/year). This security surcharge is for the outer perimeter and Alpha Gate (main airport entrance) security. The leasee would be responsible for their own compound and security: static and movement. This policy instituted in January 2010.

• It is understood that the Ministry of Transportation has transferred control of the Airport facility assets (business center and hotel facility) to Iraqi Airways. From this, it is understood that this will allow for the subsequent privatization of these facilities…more details to follow as more information is delineated.

Please contact the BIA Director, Mr. Abdulameer Kanim’s office at the following:

Telephone: +964 40 822170 (land line)

Gavin Jones

The Ministry of Electricity has warned parliamentary candidates against using lofty promises for the provision of power supplies as part of their campaigning.

Iraq is to hold elections on March 7. More than 6,500 are contesting the 325-seat parliament.

Nominated by 86 parties, competition is tough and some candidates are reported to be giving “unrealistic” promises regarding power supplies.

Electricity shortages may still last up to 20 hours in major cities and the country’s power output is so erratic that future predictions are almost impossible.

“This is a highly specialized sector in need of immense requirements. It cannot be used for electioneering purposes,” said an Electricity Ministry statement faxed to the newspaper.

“We are surprised to see some of our brother politicians talking about the provision of power supplies through investments without taking into account the reality of the situation.

“These politicians have not asked themselves if they have done the right thing by supporting the ministry to overcome the difficulties it is facing and assisting it to increase output,” said the statement.

The statement said in theory investments in power was massive. But in reality, it added, the conditions were not lucrative enough to lure foreign investors.

Instead of talking about things which are unrealistic, the politicians should work hard to provide the ministry’s power stations with fuel and water and increase allocations, it said.

Despite the difficult conditions, the ministry has been able to boost output to 43% from28% of domestic needs, it claimed.

(Azzaman)

Twenty-four solar-powered potable water stations will be built in a number of villages in  Wassit, “The stations, with a capacity of 1-5 cubic meters per hour, will be established in 14 districts and towns,” Majed al-Atabi told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He added that the stations will save a lot of electricity, as they rely on solar energy.

An agreement has been reached on Friday with a Turkish exporter of ready-to-use power pylons to increase capacity from 240 to 363 megawatt (MW) in Basra, according to the provincial council’s electricity committee chairman.

“The capacity of one pylon, due to arrive in the port of Umm Qasr soon, will be upped from 105 to 143 megawatt, while the second, to arrive in Khour al-Zubair port, will be upped from 125 to 225 megawatt,” Eng. Ziyad Ali Fadel told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Fadel pledged that the production of electricity in Basra will see improvement by the summer.

The Iraqi Ministry of Planning has finalised its development plan for the years 2010-2014, focusing on the oil and electricity sectors as a first priority, but extending as far as agricultural and rural development. The program includes more than 2,700 projects worth nearly $186bn.

(Sources: Aswat Al Iraq, Iraq Directory)

The sum of 1.2 billion Iraqi dinars was appropriated to extend electricity services to 10 villages in the district of Rawndoz, north of Arbil, according to the Mayor Sirwan Sereni on Sunday.

“The sum is allocated from the Provincial Development Budget (PDB) for Arbil to set a project that involves the installation of 1020 power posts and 20 transformers in an area 35 km long,” Sereni told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Rawndoz, 130 km north of Arbil, is a mountainous area where tourism is thriving, namely in the Bikhal resort.

“The project aims to extending services to all areas of Arbil, particularly mountainous areas, in a bid to refurbish tourism,” he said.

Arbil, the capital city of the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan Region, lies 360 km north of Baghdad.

Investments in the electricity sector in Iraq will minimize power-off periods throughout the country, an adviser for the electricity minister said on Friday.

“The process may take 2-3 years,” Hassan Wahab Ganaw told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He said that current electricity production in Iraq fulfills only 50 percent of the country’s demand on power.

A new power transformation station will be established in the city of Basra within 23 months, an official of the local council’s electricity department said on Wednesday.

“The new station, which is being built near al-Zubair Bridge, west of Basra, will have a production capacity of 400 KV,” Ziyad Ali Fadel told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The project aims to improve and develop the electricity network and to ease pressure on other power transformation stations in the city,” he added.

“The project is one of the biggest projects in the province and will be carried out in 23 months,” he noted.

Basra is 590 km south of Baghdad.

There are two big investment opportunities to construct two major gas-driven power plants in Basra, the Basra Investment Commission said in a release on Monday.

“The first plant will have a capacity of 1,250 Mwatt, while the second one will be able to generate 1,350 Mwatts of electricity,” said the release received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

It said that the location of both stations will be western Basra province, and both will be supplied by natural gas from nearby oil sites.

The oil-rich city of Basra lies t590 km south of Baghdad.

The state-owned al-Izz Company has signed contracts worth $3.3 million U.S. dollars with several institutions in the industry, electricity and civil society sectors, an official statement said on Sunday.

“The company has signed a number of contracts with the state-run Diala Company for Electrical Industries to upgrade its computer systems, to rehabilitate its transformer factory and to supply spare parts and laboratory appliances…,” according to a statement released by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals and received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The company will implement the contracts within six months, the statement added.