Few illegal Refineries Shut In Erbil This Week
139 illegal refineries have been closed in Erbil alone since Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's April 2024 order, with only three legal refineries now operating across the entire Kurdistan Region, as a new campaign targets waste burning at night
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Four illegal refineries were shut down in Erbil within a single week, and authorities have launched an arrest campaign against those secretly operating refineries at night and burning tyres and waste after dark, Dilshad Hirani, Director of Erbil's Environment Directorate, told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday.
Hirani confirmed that all illegal refineries in the Kurdistan Region have been shut and none holds a formal operating licence. However, three to four refineries have been secretly operating at night illegally, and their owners have been arrested and the facilities closed.
"Those refineries that operated secretly will face the harshest penalties," Hirani said. He also disclosed that a new phenomenon has emerged: authorities have obtained photographs and videos showing the burning of tyres, waste, and rubbish at night. In coordination with security forces, an arrest campaign is being launched against those responsible and they will face legal penalties.
The Scale Of The Crackdown
According to statistics from the Kurdistan Region's Environment Protection and Improvement Board, approximately 160 illegal refineries existed across the Kurdistan Region until recently. Of those, 139 were in Erbil, 14 in Duhok, and six in Sulaimani. All have now been closed. Only three refineries are currently operating legally across the entire Kurdistan Region: the Kar, Lanaz, and Qaivan refineries.
The crackdown follows a formal order issued by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in April 2024 to close all illegal refineries across the Kurdistan Region, following which dozens of illegal facilities were shut across the Region.
Under Directive No. 1 of 2020 issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, all existing refineries were required to bring themselves into compliance with the directive's requirements, under which every ministry issued its own specific guidelines.
Environmental Gains
Within the framework of the Runaki lighting project, 3,689 generators have been decommissioned, resulting in a reduction of 690 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per day, reflecting the broader environmental benefit of transitioning from illegal fuel production and generator-based power to cleaner and more regulated alternatives.