OREANDA-NEWS. February 24, 2009. Technopromexport OJSC has started technical inspection of the first three units (210MW each) of Jusifija Thermal Power Plant in Iraq.

“Two groups of Russian experts are already working at the plant. They are supposed to inspect the units and to assess the quality of the delivered equipment and the executed construction and installation work,” says Director General of Technopromexport Sergey Molozhavy.

“We need to see in what condition the plant is for the moment (including the equipment supplied to the construction site) as its territory suffered numerous bombardments during the military actions,” he said.

Technopromexport’s experts were sent to the site only after they had been provided with security guarantees. Since Nov 2008 Jusifija TPP has been guarded by Iraqi troops, particularly, by a special armored division. The construction of a three-meter fence around the plant is over. The plant has a checkpoint, which prevents any strangers from infiltrating into the area. The Russian experts are living in the territory of the plant.

As soon as the inspection is over, Technopromexport will decide if it is possible to prepare proposals for the Iraqi party concerning the terms of resumption of the work on the site and the completion of the project.

Representatives of the tribes living near the site have welcomed the return of Russian experts to the plant as the resumption of the project will provide them with highly paid jobs.

The possibility of return of Russian specialists to Iraq has been repeatedly discussed by the local authorities. The agreement on the conduct of a technical inspection was reached during the meeting of Minister of Electricity of Iraq Karim Wahid and Director General of Technopromexport Sergey Molozhavy in Aug 2008.

The energy system of Iraq is half-ruined. Almost 97% of the country’s electric networks were destructed during the Gulf War. The Iraqi authorities were unable to restore them because of years of economic blockade. As a result, the present capacity of the Iraqi power plants is 5,500MW while the demand for energy is 10,000MW during the year and as much as 12,000MW in the summer.

The contract for the construction of Jusifija Thermal Power Plant (six 210MW units) was signed in June 1988 in the framework of the inter-governmental agreement between the USSR and Iraq. The project has been suspended thrice because of war since then with all of Technopromexport’s employees evacuated from the site. Nevertheless, the company has never stopped implementing the contract and continued delivering equipment to the plant.