The electricity generation capacity in Iraqi Kurdistan should grow by at least one quarter by the start of 2016 to meet soaring demand in the region, the MEED Kurdistan Projects conference in Erbil was told today.
“We are striving to have more than 6GW by this date,” director general for electricity generation at the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG’s) Ministry of Electricity Diyar Baban.
Baban said peak electricity demand in Iraqi Kurdistan is forecast to hit 4,230MW this summer, almost 12 per cent more than in 2012.
New projects being developed by the Ministry of Electricity in Iraqi Kurdistan are:
- The 51MW Tasluja diesel power plant project, which is due for completion in September
- The 300MW Erbil thermal power plant being built by South Korea’s Posco Engineering & Construction Company in a contract awarded at the end of 2012.
- The 750MW Bazyan combined cycle plant being developed by the Qaiwan Group. “This is signed and ready for construction to start,” Baban said
- The 200MW Harir power plant
- The Zakho independent power plant (IPP) being developed in a build-own-operate (BOO) concession with Poltex Company. This calls for the construction of a closed cycle thermal power plant with capacity of 1,260MW.