Iraq unveils agreements with GE Vernova to bolster power sector
Zeyad Ali Fadhil, Iraq’s Minister of Electricity with with Roger Martella, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Government Affairs at GE Vernova
Washington (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq has made many significant announcements, including the GE Vernova, with the goal of increasing generating and improving the nation’s overall access to power supplies.
The announcements were made in conjunction with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s meeting with President Joe Biden during his visit to Washington, D.C.
The partnerships are a reflection of Iraq and GE Vernova’s shared ambition to collaborate in order to update and enhance power infrastructure, facilitate the shift to lower carbon energy in the future, and foster economic growth.
The stated tasks are in line with the Principles of Cooperation, which Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity and GE Vernova signed in 2023 to look into possibilities for building new power plants and expanding electricity capacity.
These consist of a commitment to move forward with the conversion of two sites, Samawa and Nasiriya, from simple to combined cycle, as well as to expand capacity at the Al Mansouria gas power plant; a letter of intent between the Ministry of Electricity in Iraq and GE Vernova to explore injecting three additional gigawatts (GW) of energy generated by highly efficient combined cycle power plants into the grid; and five-year services and upgrade agreements to improve the availability and efficiency of over seventy turbines and generators at eighteen power plants, with a total capacity of up to 7.5 GW.
Moreover, an agreement was reached to investigate the expedited use of flared gas to increase power generation in specific oil fields through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil.
“These initiatives mark a milestone in our continued efforts to strengthen national power infrastructure,” said Zeyad Ali Fadhil, the Iraqi Minister of Electricity. “As electricity demand in Iraq grows, we continue to work with leading companies like GE Vernova, to ensure that the power needs of residents and industrial users are met in a timely manner through advanced gas power generation technologies, on-time servicing and maintenance of energy infrastructure, and an accelerated use of flared gas, in collaboration with the Ministry of Oil.”
“As an example, in preparation for the peak summer demand season in 2024, the MoE and GE Vernova’s teams completed the MXL2 upgrade on two of GE Vernova’s 13E2 gas turbines at Al Mansouria power plant, with a total capacity of up to 266 megawatts,” added Fathil. “Additionally, our teams continue to work on maintenance and upgrade projects covering up to 3.8 GW of capacity.”
“In 2021, GE Vernova proposed a 10-point strategy to help accelerate Iraq’s energy transition, including a series of measures that were part of today’s announcements,” said Joseph Anis, President and CEO of GE Vernova’s Gas Power business in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “These announcements reflect our committed to keep driving progress for the Iraqi people. We aim to continue to work closely with the Iraqi government and other stakeholders to help deliver more affordable, reliable, and lower carbon power that supports the growing needs of citizens and faster, more sustainable economic development, to the benefit of present and future generations.”
In just over a decade, GE Vernova has built up to 30 substations, adding up to 19 GW of capacity in Iraq, and delivered phase one of the interconnection with Jordan’s grid, which was officially opened by the Iraqi government in March 2024.
Additionally, since 2015, GE Vernova has helped the Iraqi government get more than $3 billion in funding for initiatives related to the energy industry. GE Vernova employs over 200 staff members throughout the country, with more than 95% of them being Iraqis.