KRG to boost electricity generation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to boost electricity generation through a contract with a local company and the World Bank.

Nechirvan Barzani, the KRG Prime Minister gave a speech at the ceremony of granting the World Bank loan to Mass Holding company to increase generating electric power through power plants in Sulaimani province.

He said that International Finance Corporation (IFC), one of the members of the World Bank, has granted $375 million loan to the company to increase electricity generation from 1000 megawatts to 1500 megawatts.  

Barzani added that, "We will complete our plans to fill the gaps, especially in the electricity sector in the Kurdistan Region, and we will provide all sorts of facilities in this sector and other sectors to serve the citizens."

Taha Zangana, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Deputy Minister for Natural Resources (MNR), in a panel on Reforming the Energy Sector said that now the Kurdistan Region only produces 330 million meter square of gas in Khormor oil field which used to generate power in 12 stations.

Zangana said that since the beginning of 2016, MNR has not bought gas for power generation. "In two years, our gas can be enough to generate 100 percent of power and 24 hours of electricity every day.”  

In late 2015, the construction of Dereluk Dam and its power plant in Amedi district of Duhok Province was launched by the KRG PM and the Japanese ambassador to Iraq.

The 36-megawatt hydropower dam is estimated to cost $165 million USD and will be constructed along the Great Zab River. It is a joint KRG-Japan project, assisted and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Ava Homa