Iraq signs deal with Alstom

subscribe

French utility company Alstom announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Iraq to develop the country's crumbling electricity grid.

Patrick Kron, chief executive officer at French company Alstom, signed the MOU with the Iraqi oil ministry and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The measure includes work at three oil-fired units in the southern port city of Basra. Each facility could produce as much as 400 megawatts of energy.

A project in the holy city of Najaf involves the rehabilitation of a gas-fired power plant with 180 MW of installed capacity. Other work involves the supply of electrical substations scattered throughout the country.

Despite holding some of the largest oil and natural gas deposits in the world, parts of Iraq suffer from rolling blackouts.

Officials working in the energy sector of Iraq said the government wasn't allocating enough money to the energy grid to avert sweeping power outages.

Iraqi police in June opened fire on demonstrators protesting against power shortages in Basra, killing two in southern port city.

Residents in parts of Basra said they have about 6 hours of electricity each day.

Related News

west virgina dam

Lawmakers question FERC licensing process for dams in West Virginia

WASHINGTON - As federal lawmakers plan to consider a bill that would expand Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing authority, questions emerged on Tuesday about the process used by FERC to issue two hydropower licenses for existing dams in West Virginia.

In a letter to FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee, Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee raised questions about hydropower licenses issued for two dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Monongahela River in West Virginia.

U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy, Bobby Rush (D-IL), the ranking member…

READ MORE
Hydro One CEO Mayo Schmidt

Hydro One’s takeover of U.S. utility sparks customer backlash: ‘This is an incredibly bad idea’

READ MORE

canada microgrid

Why Canada should invest in "macrogrids" for greener, more reliable electricity

READ MORE

Greta Thunberg

Opinion: Germany's drive for renewable energy is a cautionary tale

READ MORE

damaged power grid

New Power Grid “Report Card” Reveal Dangerous Vulnerabilities

READ MORE