Power drive: Iraq boosts Bismayah plant by 300 MW
On Monday, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani inaugurated a 300 MW unit at the Bismayah gas-fired power plant, raising its total capacity to around 5,000 MW, his office said.
Developed in partnership with GE and Turkiye's ENKA, Bismayah is among Iraq's largest power facilities. Energy experts say the added output is vital for easing chronic summer shortages and meeting fast-growing demand, which will require tens of billions of dollars in new investment.
In April, Baghdad signed memorandums with US firms GE Vernova and UGT Renewables to develop 24,000 MW of gas-fired capacity and 3,000 MW of solar power projects, officials view as essential to cutting reliance on imported Iranian electricity and modernizing the grid.
Iraq's network currently generates about 26,000 MW at peak, short of the 34,000 MW estimated to be needed during the hottest months.
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