Iraq expands Baiji refinery complex
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani inaugurated on Saturday the oil refinery and a power plant in the city of Baiji, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The project is part of the Iraqi government's ambitions to reconstruct terrorism-damaged facilities and attain self-sufficiency in fuel and energy production.
The refinery is currently operating at full capacity, producing up to 250,000 tons of oil annually.
Al-Sudani noted that the inauguration of the refinery demonstrates Iraq's ability to accomplish projects that used to be carried out by foreign corporations.
The prime minister also inaugurated a 50-megawatt power plant designed to meet the refinery's electrical needs independently of the national grid. This ensures continuous operation and alleviates pressure on the country's electrical network.
The refinery produces various types of oils, such as engine oils, heavy oils, and turbine oils, in addition to 600,000 tons of multi-grade asphalt each year. This output supports the local market and helps conserve foreign currency.
Al-Sudani said in January that the city of Baiji is expected to be one of the largest cities in the oil industry in the region.
At the following phase, a petrochemical plant will be set up at refineries in Baiji, according to Al-Sudani.
The Iraqi government is working on several strategic initiatives that are being carried out for the first time in the country's history. These initiatives are projected to increase the country's output of oil, gas, and electricity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Iraq Business
3 hours ago
- Iraq Business
Iraq Amends Funding Structure for China Framework Agreement
By John Lee. The Iraqi Cabinet has approved amendments to its earlier decision (No. 229 of 2025) concerning the Iraq-China Framework Agreement. The revisions allow for the reallocation of project funding under the investment account of the agreement, based on proposals prepared by the Diwani Order Committee No. 23995 and in line with the Federal Budget Law. As part of these changes, the financing source for Phase 1 of a 250-megawatt solar power plant, to be developed by the Ministry of Electricity, will be shifted from the credit account to the investment account of the framework agreement. According to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, this shift aligns the funding mechanism with the requirements of Iraq's federal budget legislation. (Source: PMO)
Memri
7 hours ago
- Memri
Lebanese Writer: Syria's President Al-Sharaa Must Protect The Minorities – Not Blame Israel For The Sectarian Violence In The Country
Under the shadow of the bloody events in the Druze stronghold of southern Syria, that began July 13, 2025 and involved Druze factions and Bedouin tribes backed by Syria's Al-Sharaa regime, and in which over 1,000 Druze were massacred, Lebanese columnist Khairallah Khairallah called in his July 21, 2025 column in the London-based UAE daily Al-Arab for Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to prove that he is the president of all Syrians "in deeds and not words." Stressing that the broad international and regional legitimacy enjoyed by his administration does not exempt him from reconciliation with all Syrians, including the Druze, he added that it also does not mean that he need not learn lessons from the harm that has been done to Syria's minorities since he took power. In his column, Khairallah rejected the Syrian regime's depiction of Israel as responsible for the sectarian tensions in the country. He wrote that Israel's support for the Druze in Syria is more than natural, given that they are part of the Israeli social fabric and serve in the Israeli military, and that Israel has not intervened in other cases of harm to Syrian minorities such as the Alawites or the Christians. The Syrian people under a cloud of violence (Source: Al-Arab, London, July 17, 2025) The following is the translation of Khairallah's column: "...The events in the Syrian province of Al-Suwayda, which has experienced and continues to experience crimes and atrocities against the Druze community, are an opportunity for the new Syrian regime, led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, to reinvent itself – instead of settling for accusing Israel [of fanning the violence] or turning a blind eye to the attack on the Druze, committed by so-called Bedouin tribes, [if we believe the regime's] claims, which are unsubstantiated, to say the least! "This is an opportunity for Al-Shara to prove, in deeds and not words, that he is the president of all of Syria and of all the Syrians – and not the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] and its supporters. He can do so by proving that the [new] Syrian state, which has been in existence for just seven months, can be different from the Alawite regime that had existed from 1966... "There is no way out of the profound crisis in which Syria finds itself unless this young regime takes charge of protecting the Druze, who are first and foremost Syrian citizens. In this realm, Ahmed Al-Sharaa and his aides can learn from recent past experience, and avoid what happened to the Alawites and Christians. "Last March [2025], the Alawites were slaughtered in the Syrian coastal region, after armed militias suppressed a move they had made to bring up what could be called 'the Alawite issue,' based on the assumption that the world takes an interest in their fate. But it turned out that the Alawites were the world's least concern, and that no one, including Israel, was willing to embrace the cause of a minority that had ruled Syria with an iron fist and with fire for some six decades. The Alawites are now paying the price for the crimes of Hafez and Bashar Al-Assad and other members of their family, who considered Syria nothing more than the ruling family's [private] ranch. "Israel did not interfere in events in Syria, particularly when they concerned the Alawites and then the Christians. It was clear that the Christians in Syria were the least concern of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, even though they were massacred by an ISIS fighter inside a church in one of the Damascus neighborhoods.[1] The Syrian officials treated the Christians somewhat contemptuously, considering that they were a minority that played an important role in shaping Syria's history... "The Christians were the victims of the Egypt-Syria union [i.e., the United Arab Republic, a union of Egypt and Syria that existed in 1958-1961], and later they were the victims of the Ba'ath Party because of its dearth of political thought and its wickedness. [They were also] one of the victims of the Alawite regime, which handed the Golan over to Israel in June 1967 in order to ensure Hafez Al-Assad a monopoly on power after [the 1967 War] and also to ensure that Syria would be inherited by his son Bashar in 2000. "Ahmed Al-Sharaa received strong American and Western support, for example, meeting with President Donald Trump in Riyadh and visiting Paris. He played the card of the relations with Israel wisely, and at all times hinted at a return to the 1974 [Israeli-Syrian] separation of forces agreement. [2] He disregarded all Israeli attacks aimed at specific Syrian military sites. Moreover, he has established close ties with influential Arab countries, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He maintained the special relationship with Turkey and did not for one moment take lightly the issue of the Iranian presence in Syria. He took care to emphasize that this presence had ended permanently and that Syria would never again serve as a bridge between the Islamic Republic and its proxy Hizbullah in Lebanon. This great achievement, historic in nature, cannot be spent on marginal battles in which the Druze are required to be the victims. "Everything that Ahmed Al-Sharaa has done is good. But this does not mean that there is no need for reconciliation with the Syrians – all Syrians, including the Druze, who throughout the state's modern history have played an important and central role on the national level, starting with their rejection of the idea that Syria would include several states, including a Druze state. The Druze had a role in strengthening the Syrian national unity that Hafez Al-Assad, and later his son, tore to shreds, by gambling on an alliance of minorities led by the Alawites in order to confront the Sunni [majority]. The most dangerous thing that the elder and younger Assads did was to use the Islamic Republic of Iran to create a new demographic reality in Syria, and to change the political balance [of power] in Lebanon. "Yes, Ahmed Al-Sharaa has a chance to prove that he is the president of all of Syria and of all Syrians, without discrimination or distinction. It is easy to blame Israel [for the sectarian violence in the country], but it is difficult to block its interference in Syria's domestic affairs in a sensitive region like Al-Suwayda province. Israel's support for the Druze of Al-Suwayda is more than natural, given that Israeli Druze serve in the Israeli military and given the Druze community's historical role in the Israeli sphere. "To put it more clearly, Ahmed Al-Sharaa has no choice but to play the role of the historic head of state who leads the people and is not led by them. More important than anything else is the new Syrian president's duty to prove that he is Ahmed Al-Sharaa and not Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani [the name by which he was once known].[3] This requires both great courage and political maturity. Additionally, there is a need to play the role of the national leader who reconciles first with the Sunni moderates, and [then] also with the Druze, Christians, Alawites, and Kurds, of course."[4]
Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
US opposes Iraqi PMF law, warns against 'militia' participation in elections
Shafaq News – Washington The United States reaffirmed its opposition to Iraq's proposed law regulating the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), warning that the legislation undermines efforts to strengthen Iraq's sovereignty and existing security institutions. A US State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News that Washington 'strongly opposes any legislation that is inconsistent with the goals of our bilateral security assistance and partnership,' adding that the US supports 'genuine Iraqi sovereignty, not legislation that turns Iraq into an Iranian satellite state.' The proposed PMF Authority Law, currently under parliamentary debate in Baghdad, seeks to formalize the role of the PMF within Iraq's official military structure. It is backed by major Shiite factions and presented as part of Iraq's ongoing security reform process. Supporters say it is necessary to regulate the force's budget, define command responsibilities, and integrate it into the military chain of command. However, critics—both within Iraq and abroad—argue the draft would entrench the power of Iran-aligned armed factions. These groups, while operating under the PMF umbrella, have faced repeated accusations of acting independently of the Iraqi state and maintaining loyalty to Tehran. The State Department declined to comment on specific consequences should the law be passed, but warned that Washington will continue to take 'appropriate action' against financial institutions that deal with US-designated terrorist organizations. The United States has designated several factions within the PMF as terrorist groups, including Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Kata'ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kataib Imam Ali. The spokesperson also voiced concern over plans by some PMF-affiliated groups to contest Iraq's next round of elections, despite pledges to disarm and transition into politics. 'We remain deeply concerned about the role of Iran-aligned militia groups operating under the Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella,' the official said. 'This includes US-designated terrorist groups and affiliated members that have targeted and killed Americans.' A political source familiar with the legislative process told Shafaq News that the bill, originally scheduled for a vote during the current session, is now facing delays due to continued disagreements within Iraq's political parties, as well as within the dominant Shiite bloc over the future structure of the PMF.
