Electricity Ministry, Saudi company agree on power plant efficiency plan

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity on Saturday signed a memorandum of cooperation with Saudi company Continuous Services to improve the environmental and operational performance of power plants, according to a statement from the ministry.

The memorandum was signed in Baghdad during the Iraq Investment Conference, in the presence of Electricity Minister Ziyad Ali Fadel.

The agreement includes cooperation on treating oil residues at the Kherat power plant in Karbala “to improve environmental performance and raise operational efficiency.”

It also provides for reusing industrial water at the Hilla II plant, with advanced treatment solutions to be applied across other power generation facilities. In addition, the memorandum covers cleaning pipelines inside the Musayyib gas station using nitrogen gas technology, which the ministry said would “increase readiness and reduce breakdowns.”

The ministry described the memorandum as part of ongoing efforts to “enhance the efficiency of Iraq’s electricity system” by entering agreements with specialized companies to improve the performance and production rates of existing plants.

Iraq continues to face electricity shortages, particularly in the summer when temperatures often exceed 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees celsius). While the government has repeatedly promised to resolve the power crisis, demand consistently outpaces supply.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani chaired a meeting with the Ministry of Electricity’s technical team on revenue collection, directing measures to curb energy losses and strengthen billing systems. Al-Sudani ordered the dismissal of 15 distribution center directors for “delays and failures in implementing collection regulations and addressing power losses.”

On August 7, Electricity Minister Ziyad Ali Fadhil announced that Iraq has reached a record-high electricity production level of 28,000 megawatts, the highest in its history.