Nearly 50,000 Iraqi homes receive increased electricity (26/10/05)

An electric plant in northeastern Ninewa is running again for the first time in several years. The newly-refurbished plant will produce enough electric power to serve approximately 49,720 Iraqi homes or businesses in the area and will add 55 megawatts to the national grid.

Electricity usage is on the increase throughout Iraq

A local Iraqi firm, along with the Ministry of Electricity, installed five gas turbines under the original equipment manufacturer’s supervision. Management oversight was provided by the Project & Contracting Office’s (PCO) Electricity Sector and quality control was supplied by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division (USACE, GRD).

The Ninewa plant, totaling approximately $3 million of Iraq Relief & Reconstruction Funds (IRRF) through the PCO Electricity Sector, also will receive an additional $1 million worth of spare parts. Work on the plant started in early August 2005 and ended one month later.

The plant is part of Project Phoenix, an initiative which covers seven plants and 26 gas turbines and totals upwards of $85 million. Project Phoenix is expected to add approximately 700 megawatts of electric power to the national grid. Established in early 2005, Project Phoenix was designed to refurbish power assets such as plants and turbines.

The Electricity Sector is one of four PCO sectors managing reconstruction projects throughout Iraq. The other sectors are Oil, Public Works and Water, and Facilities and Transportation.

In total, the PCO Electrical Sector is responsible for 434 projects valued at approximately $3.2 billion. This figure includes about $140 million of non-construction funds allocated for equipment and training.

To date, the Electricity Sector has completed approximately 82 projects totaling an estimated $660 million. Currently, an estimated $1,300 million is being used on projects that are now in progress, leaving $1,250 million for remaining projects.

Source: PortalIraq