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August 18, 2004
Release Number: 04-08-54
FIRST NEW GENERATOR COMES ON LINE IN IRAQ
BAGHDAD –The first new electricity generator since 1976 came online today in Southern Iraq, adding enough electricity to the national grid to service nearly 120,000 homes.
The 40 Megawatt generator located near Basrah fills a void in the Maysan Governorate, which was previously isolated from the Iraqi national grid.
“This is a very important step in overcoming the power shortage across the country,” said Raad Shalal, a senior Iraq Ministry of Electricity official. “This will help us reach our goal of increasing power for the country.”
The commissioning of the generator marks the fourth time in three weeks Iraqi and U.S. engineers have brought additional electricity to the national grid.
Construction of the generator began nearly 10 months ago when senior Iraqi and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials identified the site and began building a power station in what was then a sandy rock-laden field.
“A lot of work went into this from the scraping of the earth, to pouring of the concrete to placing the generator; it makes you really appreciate the magnitude of work that was done by Iraqi and Corps engineers to make today possible,” said Maj. Erik Stor, the operations officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Restore Iraqi Electricity Directorate. “The electricity this new produces will offer the Iraqi people a long-term aid in bettering the safety and security of this country.”
Electricity production in the country continues to climb to more than 5,200 MW, a total that exceeds pre-war levels and services an estimated 15.3 million Iraqi homes.
“We know how important electricity is to the safety and security of the Iraqi people, and we continue to work on their behalf with the Ministry to bring the country additional electricity,” said Lt. Col Jeffery Ogden, the director of the Corp’s electricity efforts. “We continue to work in partnership with the Ministry of Electricity and the Iraqi people to bring the country more electricity.”
Despite the addition of power to the country’s national grid, the demand for electricity in Iraq continues to grow, according to a fact sheet published by the Iraq Ministry of Electricity.
“With more than half a million new jobs created, new industries and new factories coming on line and with the sale of thousands of home appliances such as washing machines and air conditioners, Iraq has experienced a rapid increase in electricity demand,” the fact sheet reads. “The increase in demand is a good sign of a thriving economy emerging from three decades of isolation.”
Increasing available electricity is slated to continue throughout August, as additional generators are expected to come on line throughout the month and bring more electricity to the people of Iraq.
Since beginning its work in the country nearly a year ago, the Corps has added an additional 1,500 Megawatts to the Iraqi national grid.
Editor’s Note: Photos of the power plant are available. Requests should be directed to Mitch Frazier at (540) 665-5339 or via cell at 0-790-192-5105 (Iraqna). Email requests can also be made to mitchell.frazier@tac01.usace.army.mil. For more information on the Corps in Iraq, visit www.grd.usace.army.mil.
Release Number: 04-08-54
FIRST NEW GENERATOR COMES ON LINE IN IRAQ
BAGHDAD –The first new electricity generator since 1976 came online today in Southern Iraq, adding enough electricity to the national grid to service nearly 120,000 homes.
The 40 Megawatt generator located near Basrah fills a void in the Maysan Governorate, which was previously isolated from the Iraqi national grid.
“This is a very important step in overcoming the power shortage across the country,” said Raad Shalal, a senior Iraq Ministry of Electricity official. “This will help us reach our goal of increasing power for the country.”
The commissioning of the generator marks the fourth time in three weeks Iraqi and U.S. engineers have brought additional electricity to the national grid.
Construction of the generator began nearly 10 months ago when senior Iraqi and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials identified the site and began building a power station in what was then a sandy rock-laden field.
“A lot of work went into this from the scraping of the earth, to pouring of the concrete to placing the generator; it makes you really appreciate the magnitude of work that was done by Iraqi and Corps engineers to make today possible,” said Maj. Erik Stor, the operations officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Restore Iraqi Electricity Directorate. “The electricity this new produces will offer the Iraqi people a long-term aid in bettering the safety and security of this country.”
Electricity production in the country continues to climb to more than 5,200 MW, a total that exceeds pre-war levels and services an estimated 15.3 million Iraqi homes.
“We know how important electricity is to the safety and security of the Iraqi people, and we continue to work on their behalf with the Ministry to bring the country additional electricity,” said Lt. Col Jeffery Ogden, the director of the Corp’s electricity efforts. “We continue to work in partnership with the Ministry of Electricity and the Iraqi people to bring the country more electricity.”
Despite the addition of power to the country’s national grid, the demand for electricity in Iraq continues to grow, according to a fact sheet published by the Iraq Ministry of Electricity.
“With more than half a million new jobs created, new industries and new factories coming on line and with the sale of thousands of home appliances such as washing machines and air conditioners, Iraq has experienced a rapid increase in electricity demand,” the fact sheet reads. “The increase in demand is a good sign of a thriving economy emerging from three decades of isolation.”
Increasing available electricity is slated to continue throughout August, as additional generators are expected to come on line throughout the month and bring more electricity to the people of Iraq.
Since beginning its work in the country nearly a year ago, the Corps has added an additional 1,500 Megawatts to the Iraqi national grid.
Editor’s Note: Photos of the power plant are available. Requests should be directed to Mitch Frazier at (540) 665-5339 or via cell at 0-790-192-5105 (Iraqna). Email requests can also be made to mitchell.frazier@tac01.usace.army.mil. For more information on the Corps in Iraq, visit www.grd.usace.army.mil.