Germany-based Siemens has signed multi-million-dollor service contracts Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity for the maintenance and upgrade of seven power generating units in four power plants.

The power plants are located in the areas of South Basra, Salah El Deen, Middle Region and Middle Euphrates.

With approximately 15,700 MW of available power generation capacity, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity is working towards improving the availability and reliability of power supply, while minimising power losses. This service project with Siemens will support the nation’s industrial development plans and meet its growing population’s demand for power.

Gianluigi Di Giovanni, senior executive vice president of Siemens Power Generation Services in the Middle East, said: “Iraq has a clear vision for the future of the country’s power sector. Siemens is honoured to further strengthen our long-term collaboration with the Ministry of Energy. The upgrade of the power plants will not only increase the reliability of the plants, but also will improve the efficiency and generation capacity.”

The landmark agreement calls for Siemens to carry out critical service and maintenance works across the four power plants. The outage and upgrade services will enhance the reliability and efficiency of these units, helping them collectively generate more than 1,000 MW of power, 400 MW more than today, and save up to 10 per cent in fuel consumption. This is enough to supply approximately three million Iraqi people with reliable electricity. The agreement includes spare parts supply as well as manpower training to enhance energy efficiency.

With over 40 years of presence in the country, Siemens’ advanced technologies are perfect fit to support Iraq’s development plans. Today, its technologies are responsible for generating almost 40 per cent of the electricity distributed across the country. – TradeArabia News Service