Posted on 08/08/2005 5:03:54 PM PDT by SandRat
TALLIL, Iraq, Aug. 8, 2005 — With a major neighborhood electrical refurbishment project getting underway in the city of Najaf, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region South District has earmarked most of the money for distribution projects, which means a voltage level from 33 kilovolts down to the levels used by houses and small shops.
“The plants aren’t operating at full capacity for one reason or another. The plants are old and haven’t been well maintained over the years for example. This power shortage causes the three hours on/ three hours off of electricity that Iraq experiences now because there is only half the power needed."
Greg Fillers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
People appreciate distribution projects because that’s when “you bring wires into the home,” said Greg Fillers, Gulf Region South Electrical Sector project manager. “It’s kind of like an overall electric blanket. That blanket covers power generation, transmission lines, distribution networks and controls.” He added that all four components contribute equally to the system.
Fillers explained that similar distribution projects are being planned and accomplished in most of Iraq’s larger cities, for example Basrah. There, the power generation plant at Khor Az Zubahr has a dual switchyard. While the generator there doesn’t create high voltages, the voltage is converted up for transmission to 400,000 volts or 400 KiloVolts (KV), which is one standard in Iraq. The other transmission standard is 132 KV, and the level of voltage is decreased in steps as it gets closer to individual homes. The higher the voltage, the better it transmits over distances.
“When you push voltages over long distances, you get line loss and the voltage drops,” he said. “And that is fairly standard as well. So you want enough power to go through the lines to the substations where it is converted to usable voltage for the home.”
Most power plants in Iraq currently operate at 50 to 60 percent of rated output, and the total amount of electricity generated is about 9.5 GigaWatts (GW) or 9,500 million watts, at full output. To create a usable difference, the plants would have to generate about 1.5 more GW. The national load on the grid peaks from noon to four p.m. in Iraq.
.“That’s what is causing the immediate problem,” said Fillers. “The plants aren’t operating at full capacity for one reason or another. The plants are old and haven’t been well maintained over the years for example.
This power shortage causes the three hours on/ three hours off of electricity that Iraq experiences now because there is only half the power needed. Cities are divided up into two groups randomly with the intent that all share power equally. Some cities get power for three hours and then the others receive it.”
To increase the power by the necessary 1.5GW, more power generation plants will be needed, and existing plants need to be repaired so they can increase output. These kinds of solutions will add about one hour, making the available electricity four hours on and two hours off. “This difference is pretty significant for most people,” he said. “We and they would see that as an improvement, although anything less than full-time power is not acceptable in the long term.”
Fillers said that one of the problems with generation and distribution is that many people don’t have any access to power at all, a problem the Corps and other organizations are working hard to correct. Moreover, more power generated means more usage, such as appliances and other items electrically powered. People are purchasing items they never had before and instead of having one air conditioner, they have four, straining the already delicate grid. Fillers would like to see some conservation practiced among people, but admitted that it is difficult to ask people to do so.
“It’s a question of time and money,” he said. “We didn’t understand what the demand would be. Nor did we realize that so many people had no access to power. That’s why the Corps is doing the full court press on this issue, but it is going to take some time. There are no quick fixes.”
Editor's Note: Betsy Weiner is the public affairs specialist for the Gulf Region Southern District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iraq.
Electricity to citizens in Iraq, more than before the war.
Just shocking! Who knew they could have something without Sadaam in charge. According to the MSM, they're still living totally in the dark!
That's a good self description of the LameStreamMedia.
Didn't read it like that--but you're right. The press is totally in the dark, not the troops!
BTT!!!!!!
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