Sulaymaniyah advances to second phase of 24-hour mains electricity project

SULAYMANIYAH — After completing the first phase of the 24-hour electricity Runaki project in Sulaymaniyah, local officials say preparations are now underway to launch the second phase, which will extend coverage to additional neighborhoods.

“The Runaki project has already been carried out in Zone 1 of the bazaar area and several nearby streets,” said Sirwan Mohammed, spokesperson for the Sulaymaniyah Electricity Directorate, speaking to 964media. “Now we are working with several companies to prepare around 10 more feeders for the second phase, so they can be integrated into the Runaki system.”

The next phase will include neighborhoods around Toy Malik, Hawari Taza, and Goyzha.

The first phase of the project, which launched on March 6, 2025, delivered uninterrupted electricity to approximately 9,000 residential and commercial units using eight feeders. It covered a wide swath of Sulaymaniyah, starting from the Dasarraka roundabout, extending through Gozha, Sadaka, Tuy Malik, the Kawa roundabout, and Khanqah, and reaching neighborhoods such as Sabunkaran, Sarkarez, Braim Pasha..

Earlier, the Runaki project was implemented in 17 neighborhoods in Erbil, delivering 24-hour power to nearly 100,000 shared households and businesses. The broader initiative, launched by the Kurdistan Regional Government on Oct. 17, 2023, aims to bring round-the-clock electricity to the entire Kurdistan Region by the end of 2026.

The Kurdistan Region, with a population of more than 6.3 million, faces chronic electricity shortages. During peak seasons, state-provided power drops to as little as seven hours a day in winter and 12 hours in summer, leaving residents dependent on private local generators.

The project already reached two neighbourhoods in Duhok which are Baroshke and Sarheldan, On March 27, 2025, the Runaki team announced that “24-hour electricity will soon reach all residents of Duhok governorate.”

The program is gradually reducing the need for private generators and relies on existing energy resources, including natural gas and hydroelectric power.