GE Vernova has unveiled several strategic initiatives with the Republic of Iraq aimed at increasing power generation and availability across Iraq. The announcement was made during Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's visit to Washington DC and meeting with President Joe Biden.
The initiative was signed in Washington DC on April 17 in the presence of His Excellency Al-Sudani, and involved His Excellency Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Suwad, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Petroleum. Dr. Muhammad Ali Tamim, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning of Iraq; Roger Martella, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Government Affairs, GE Vernova. Also present at the signing were Ambassador Alina L. Romanovsky, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, and Steve Roots, Chairman of the U.S.-Iraq Business Council and Vice President for the Middle East at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
US-Iraq relations
These collaborations reflect the shared vision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq and GE Vernova to strengthen and modernize power infrastructure, accelerate the transition to a low-carbon energy future, and foster economic development. The announced initiatives are in line with the principles of cooperation signed between Iraq's Ministry of Electricity (MoE) and GE Vernova in 2023 and include:
1. Letter of intent with the Ministry of the Environment to consider injecting an additional 3 gigawatts (GW) of energy into the grid generated by high-efficiency combined cycle power plants. Additionally, the parties reiterated their commitment to convert the two sites in Samawah and Nasiriyah from simple cycle to combined cycle and to expand the capacity of the Al Mansoriya gas power plant.
2. A five-year service and upgrade agreement with the Ministry of the Environment will improve the availability and efficiency of more than 70 turbines and generators at 18 power plants with a total capacity of up to 7.5 GW.
3. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum. Consider accelerating the use of flare gas to increase electricity generation in certain oil fields, with the aim of reducing pollution and health hazards associated with flaring while generating additional electricity.
His Excellency Zeyad Ali Fadil, Minister of Electricity of Iraq, “These efforts mark a milestone in our continued efforts to strengthen the nation's power infrastructure.” He highlighted the collaboration with GE Vernova to meet electricity needs through advanced gas power generation technology and the promotion of flared gas utilization.
As part of this effort, GE Vernova will establish a monitoring and diagnostics (M&D) center that leverages the company's electrification software capabilities to monitor core power assets across 18 locations powered by GE Vernova's 9E gas turbines. do. The center is expected to help reduce operational risks, reduce unplanned outage costs, and foster human resource development in Iraq through knowledge transfer and training of local engineers.
“These efforts mark a milestone in our continued efforts to strengthen the country's power infrastructure,” he said. Fadil. “As Iraq's electricity demand continues to grow, we continue to work with leading companies like GE Vernova to ensure that the electricity needs of residents and industrial users are met in a timely manner through advanced gas power generation technology, on-time service and maintenance. ” Developing energy infrastructure and accelerating the use of flare gas in cooperation with the Ministry of Petroleum.
“As an example, in preparation for the peak demand period in the summer of 2024, the Ministry of the Environment and the GE Vernova team completed an MXL2 upgrade of two GE Vernova 13E2 gas turbines at the Al Mansouriah Power Plant, with a total capacity of In addition, our teams continue to work on maintenance and upgrade projects covering up to 3.8 GW of capacity.”
