Baghdad - MENA Herald: GE has further strengthened its collaborations in Iraq to support the country’s power infrastructure, and to meet the growing need for electricity from people and industry.
GE signed agreements that will add over 2 gigawatts (GW) of power, and secure the delivery of ~1.75 GW of existing power to the national grid, to strengthen the nation’s power infrastructure.
GE will set up the Samawa and Dhi Qar Power Plants, adding 1,500 megawatts (MW) to the grid. In the first phase of the project, GE will install four 9E gas turbines in simple cycle at each site by 2018. The second phase will entail the combined cycle conversion of the 9E units. GE is also supplying advanced heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) and steam turbine technology as well as serving as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the projects.
Under Power Up Plan Phase II - a plan with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity (MoE) for critical electricity generation and maintenance projects throughout the country - GE will add over 580 megawatts (MW) to the national grid through upgrade and rehabilitation works at four power plants.
Additionally, under Power Up Plan Phase II, GE will sustain ~1.75 GW of existing power generation through the maintenance of 9E turbines across 6 different power plants in Iraq. The activities will help enhance the reliability and efficiency of Iraq’s installed base.
GE has also been working with regional and international institutions to facilitate financing to help the Government of Iraq execute these and other projects. Since 2016, GE has helped the country secure $2 billion in financing for projects in the energy sector leveraging its global sourcing capabilities coupled with its strong relationships with lenders.
Musab Al-Mudaris, a spokesman of the Ministry of Electricity, said, “The agreements with GE are another strong statement on our commitment to strengthen the nation’s power infrastructure. We are focused on delivering reliable, uninterrupted and efficient electricity supply for both residential and commercial use. The public private partnership with GE serves as a new business model where we work with our partners to secure financing and technology, enabling faster project delivery.”
The announcement builds on GE’s successful delivery of more than 700 megawatts (MW) of additional power through existing power generation infrastructure to the national grid last year as part of the Power Up Plan’s Phase I.
“We are pleased to be working in collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity to continue to help provide power to the people of Iraq,” said Steve Bolze, President & CEO of GE Power. “Using GE’s expanded portfolio of technologies and solutions, this project will provide more reliable and sustainable electricity for the country to help achieve better operations and higher levels of efficiency.”
“As a committed partner to Iraq, the new agreements underline our continued efforts to bring the latest technology to the country to build grid capacity,” added Aziz Koleilat, President & CEO of GE Iraq and the Levant. “From equipment to financial consultancy, we are working with the public and private sector to build a robust electricity infrastructure in the country. With demand for electricity increasing every year to meet domestic and industrial needs, a transformational approach is required that is led by new projects and technology upgrades. The new contracts highlight our commitment to deliver end-to-end solutions in the power value chain.”
GE has over 40 years of presence in Iraq, and supports the country’s infrastructure needs in power generation, oil & gas, water processing, aviation and healthcare, through diversified multi-business solutions and local presence. Today, over 130 GE turbines are in operation in Iraq apart from ongoing agreements to support power generation plants across the country. With three offices in Iraq - in Baghdad, Erbil and the southern oil & gas hub of Basra – GE continues to deliver its latest technology and expertise to local customers. The company has created more than 250 employment opportunities in the country, with nearly 95 percent of them filled by Iraqis.
