Latest news with #Ronaki
Shafaq News
22-05-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Ronaki project: KRG targets 24/7 electricity
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani outlined plans to deliver 24-hour electricity across the Region—and eventually to other parts of Iraq—through increased gas production supported by two new agreements with US energy companies. Speaking at the Energy Conference in Washington, Barzani presented the 'Ronaki Project' as a key element of the KRG's energy reform strategy. Initially launched in major urban centers, the project is expected to cover all cities by the end of this year, with full regional access targeted by late 2026. Years of underdeveloped infrastructure have left many households reliant on costly private generators. Barzani noted that Ronaki is designed to ease this dependence by cutting electricity costs by up to 80%, with adjusted rates for high-consumption users. He also pointed to progress in natural gas development, with two recently signed deals with established US firms positioned to expand output and support wider electricity generation. 'The objective goes beyond Kurdistan,' Barzani added. 'We're working to increase electricity supply for the rest of Iraq and the wider region, where shortages remain widespread.' The agreements contribute to a broader strategy to transform gas resources into a reliable power source, improving energy security and reducing reliance on diesel generators. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, addressing the same conference, described energy as fundamental to economic growth. He stressed that US global energy partnerships focus on cooperation and shared commercial opportunities rather than competition. The latest gas deals, he noted, reflect growing collaboration between American companies and the KRG. The conference is included in a wider itinerary for PM Barzani, who is leading an official visit to Washington. Earlier today, he met with US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, discussing ways to deepen the strategic relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the United States.
Rudaw Net
29-01-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
KRG ministry says plans to provide 24-hour power ‘soon'
Also in Kurdistan Erbil's key resort to be renovated India says education ties with Kurdistan Region 'strengthening' Four killed in Sulaimani drone attack Sulaimani security forces arrest Ranya shooting suspect A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region is working on a 'very successful plan' to provide round-the-clock electricity soon, a natural resources ministry official said on Tuesday, despite frequent power cuts in recent months. "We have the Ronaki project in the Kurdistan Region to provide 24-hour electricity in a very short time," Ahmed Mufti, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) deputy natural resources minister said at the Iraq Development Platform conference in Baghdad. 'The backbone of electricity in Kurdistan is the gas industry.' Mufti stressed that the KRG has a 'very successful plan' to materialize the plan. The Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, operated by UAE-based Dana Gas, produces over 500 million cubic feet of gas per day and will increase to 750 million cubic feet within a year, according to Mufti. Abdullah al-Qadi, executive director of Dana Gas affiliate Crescent Petroleum, stated during the panel that their goal is to increase gas production to a level that provides 24-hour electricity in the Kurdistan Region. 'We are currently in the expansion phase, and we hope to complete this phase before the end of this year and add more than 270 million cubic feet to the network, which will be a very important incentive to achieve the goal of 24 hours of electricity in the Kurdistan Region,' he said. 'After achieving this goal, the gas will be distributed to other Iraqi provinces.' But there have been frequent power cuts in the Kurdistan Region in recent months, the most recent being a gas transportation problem at Khor Mor on Saturday that resulted in a 700 megawatt reduction of electricity output. Last month, a gas leak at the field forced a region-wide 'total shutdown' of power generation. Unreliable electricity is a frequent headache in the Kurdistan Region. High demand, financial problems, and shortage of fuel supplies mean power stations in the Kurdistan Region cannot always operate at full capacity and the electricity ministry has been incapable of providing round-the-clock power. When the national supply cuts out, people rely on private diesel-fueled generators that are costly and polluting. During the panel, Mufti called on the federal government in Baghdad to control the flared gas produced from oil extraction so that it could be used and exported. The flaring process is when oil wells burn the excess gas they cannot store or use, and is considered a convenient way to deal with the waste product known as associated petroleum gas. The process, however, is among the main reasons for global climate change. Mufti highlighted that 90 percent of Iraq's total non-associated gas production is in the Kurdistan Region. "Currently there is only non-associated gas in Kurdistan. We should focus on the production of non-associated gas and control the associated gas," he said. Iraq wants to eliminate the deadly and toxic practice of gas flaring by 2030 and bring it to zero. The plan is to absorb the gas and use it for electricity generation and export instead of flaring, according to deputy oil minister Izzat Sabir. During the panel, Sabir said that Baghdad has allocated $10 billion to eliminate gas flaring, during which time the country is expected to earn $30 billion from gas production. Sabir said 75 percent of Iraqi gas is associated gas and 25 percent is non-associated gas. For years, Iraq's electrical grid has depended on gas imports from Iran to run its power plants. The country lost nearly 5,000 megawatts of power in July 2023 due to Iran completely halting the supply of gas to the southern regions of Iraq, as well as decreasing exports to Baghdad and other central provinces.
