Friday, May 25, 2007
China to sign $750 mn. power station contract
Reconstruction
(IRAQdirecotry.com) - A high-level delegation from the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity in Beijing is signing a contract to have China speed up implementation of the power station at Zubaydiah in southern Baghdad. An official source in the ministry said that the two sides agreed, during a meeting between the Minister of Electricity Kareem Waheed and the Chinese ambassador in Baghdad, to expedite the signing of a contract for the construction of the 1320 megawatt Al-Zubaydeh power station, at a cost of $750 million.
The Ministry of Electricity has started preparing special sites for 50 generators in the city of Baghdad, to increase electric production before mid-June and reduce hours of rationing in the capital. On the other hand, a dispute escalated between officials in the ministries of oil and electricity about supplying the power plants with fuel; the Ministry of Electricity held the Ministry of Oil responsible for the waste of 1000 MW capacity because of shortfalls of fuel for the plants.
Labels: Al-Zubaydeh power station, China, electricity, Kareem Waheed, Ministry of Electricity, Zubaydiah
Monday, March 26, 2007
Minsiter of Electricity - shortages to end by 2010
Electricity, Business
(Iraq Directory) - The Iraqi Minister of Electricity said that his country intends to put an end to electricity shortages by mid-2010, and talks are under way with investors, hoping to complete planned annual investments at the value of $ 2 billion. The electricity sector in Iraq needs to be rebuilt after years of war, sanctions and sabotage; electricity shuts off daily and only few areas in Baghdad gets a few hours of electricity a day.
The Minister of Electricity, Kareem Waheed, said: "we expect to get about two billion dollars (annually) from the government over the next four years and we must make up for the rest through either investors or through donors". Waheed pointed out that despite the security risks; foreign companies are making contacts with the government to invest in Iraq in future because it is considered a tempting electricity market being a major producer of oil.
Some Iraqi investors are currently building three power stations with the capacity of 500 megawatts in the Kurdish area, north of the country, and Waheed expressed his hope that these projects would encourage foreign capital. He said: "for this year, I think (foreign investment) is very difficult because of the lack of security but it may be possible next year; however, they have been in contact with us, and they are well-informed on their part. We have investors from Britain, America, Kuwait and other foreign and Arab countries.”
Labels: electricity, Kareem Waheed
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Electricity supply to increase by the summer
Power generation
(Azzaman) The Minister of Electricity says Iraqis will see improvements in the supply of power in the summer. The pledge by Kareem Waheed is the latest in a series of broken promises to improve the country’s ailing national grid which has been worsening since the 2003 U.S. invasion. But Waheed said his ministry has signed contracts with both foreign and domestic firms to add more than 1,700 megawatts to the national grid.
He said he hoped that by the summer the national grid will have the capacity to produce about 6,000 megawatts. The volume, if achieved, will still fall short of the country’s needs now estimated at more than 12,000 megawatts. Currently supplies from the national grid are very erratic with the electricity off most of the day. Iraqis now rely on small generators which serve inhabitants of small districts in major towns. But even these generators are not working properly due to fuel shortages.
He said he hoped that by the summer the national grid will have the capacity to produce about 6,000 megawatts. The volume, if achieved, will still fall short of the country’s needs now estimated at more than 12,000 megawatts. Currently supplies from the national grid are very erratic with the electricity off most of the day. Iraqis now rely on small generators which serve inhabitants of small districts in major towns. But even these generators are not working properly due to fuel shortages.
Labels: electricity, Kareem Waheed, Minister of Electricity
