Power-starved Iraq has invited foreign companies to build three power plants to boost the national grid by 1,250 megawatts, the Ministry of Electricity said on Saturday.

The ministry said a 500 MW plant would be built in each of  the southern provinces of Basra and Najaf, and a 250 MW plant  in the western province of Anbar.

"The companies will present their offers in the coming few  weeks to supply, design and implement these plants," it said. The ministry did not give a value for the projects.

Iraq, trying to rebuild after years of war and economic sanctions, hopes to triple its electricity capacity to 27,000 MW from the current 9,000 MW in four years.

More than seven years after the US-led invasion, Iraq's national grid still only supplies a few hours of power each day. Intermittent electricity is one of the public's top complaints.-Reuters