KRG’s Runaki Initiative Expands as New Area Set For 24-Hour Electricity
The Runaki project has entered its final phase in t, with officials saying the region is expected to receive uninterrupted electricity service beginning next month.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The lights across Garmian are expected to stay on around the clock next month as the Kurdistan Region’s ambitious Runaki project approaches completion in the area, marking another major expansion of the KRG’s 24-hour electricity initiative.
Alan Arkan, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Electricity in Garmian, told Kurdistan24 that work on the project has reached its final stages and that, with high probability, all towns and subdistricts within the administration’s boundaries will receive 24-hour electricity service beginning next month.
According to Arkan, the area has been divided into five operational zones under the electricity plan. Work has already been completed in three zones, while teams continue efforts in the remaining two.
He added that more than 87,000 electricity subscribers currently exist across Garmian, with residents presently receiving nearly 20 hours of national electricity per day until the full activation of the Runaki system.
Officials from the Runaki project also announced a temporary discount package for subscribers once the 24-hour system becomes operational.
Under the plan, electricity fees will be reduced by 50 percent during the first month, followed by a 25 percent discount in the second month and a 15 percent reduction in the third month.
The expansion of uninterrupted electricity service has already reached several areas across the Kurdistan Region beyond the provincial centers of Erbil, Duhok, Sulaimani and Halabja.
Other districts and administrations currently benefiting from 24-hour electricity include Akre, Semel, Pirmam, Raparin, Soran, Zakho and Koya.
Region-wide expansion
According to the latest official data released by the Runaki project, approximately 5.5 million residents across different parts of the Kurdistan Region have so far benefited from 24-hour electricity service.
The initiative has also expanded beyond residential sectors. Around 153,000 commercial properties are now receiving uninterrupted electricity, a development officials say has positively impacted economic activity across the region.
The number of officially registered subscribers in the project has surpassed 600,000, while more than 5,900 private neighborhood generators have reportedly been shut down, contributing to lower noise pollution and environmental contamination.
Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani first announced the Runaki project in November 2024 as a roadmap for providing continuous electricity across the Kurdistan Region. In May 2025, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Council of Ministers unanimously approved the initiative.
The project’s primary objective is to provide 24-hour electricity to all homes and commercial properties across the Kurdistan Region by the end of 2026, with the centers of all major cities already benefiting from the service.