OREANDA-NEWS. Further building on its partnerships to support Iraq’s power sector, GE (NYSE: GE) has received an order from Mass Global Investment Company to provide advanced gas turbines for a new 3-gigawatt (GW) power plant in Bismayah, only 30 kilometers away from Baghdad within a massive housing development project. The Bismayah plant will support Baghdad and Bismayah and be able to generate the equivalent power needed to supply more than 5 million Iraqi households.

A landmark project that will add to the power generation capabilities of the country, Bismayah marks the first-of-its-kind independent power producer (IPP) deal between Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity and Mass Global Investment Company. It also is the first IPP project by Mass Global Investment Company outside Kurdistan, underlining the close collaborations among power sector stakeholders in Iraq to help meet the country’s growing needs for power.

According to the Iraq Energy Outlook by International Energy Agency[1], Iraq needs to boost its power generation capacity by nearly 70 percent to meet its needs, while over 70 GW of additional installed capacity is needed by 2035, with a focus on moving away from the traditional oil-fired power mix to more efficient gas-fired generation.

The gas-fired Bismayah plant helps meets the larger development goals of the country with GE to supply eight units of its advanced 9F.03 gas turbines. The project will be developed in two phases, each consisting of two blocks of 1,500 megawatts each. Mass Global Investment Company has signed the EPC contract for the project with ENKA and is currently finalizing the plans for the second phase.

Adel Hamid, Minister’s Deputy for Projects Department, Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, said, “The Bismayah plant marks our continued focus to strengthen the power infrastructure through IPP partnerships that will help meet the needs of the people. Through our partnership with Mass Global Investment Company, which has proven expertise in power generation, we are also bringing advanced technologies in power generation through global companies such as GE for greater operational efficiency. We are committed to developing the power project that will support Bismayah, the largest city development in the country which will energize the economy.”

Ahmed Ismail of Mass Global Investment Company, said, “We are thankful to the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity for the opportunity to support its goals of driving power generation. Our landmark IPP project deal highlights the spirit of partnership to undertake projects that meet the needs of the people. We are working with GE on ambitious power generation plants, and the new project will leverage the newest and most-efficient technologies by GE for seamless efficiency and increased productivity.”

Aziz Koleilat, GE’s president & CEO of GE Iraq and Levant, said, “The Bismayah plant is truly a landmark partnership that will help meet the country’s increasing need for power. By building a gas-fired power plant, the Ministry of Electricity and Mass Global Investment Company are seeking to increase the judicious use of the country’s rich resources. We are committed to partnering on such ambitious and positive developments led by our strong presence on ground and a long-term commitment to the country.”

GE's advanced F-class gas turbines are well-suited for combined-cycle applications with 99.8 percent average reliability. Fast start reduces time across the entire start sequence, lowering startup emissions, while the enhanced compressor increases reliability and availability in addition to reducing periodic inspections and maintenance costs.

With three offices in Iraq—in Baghdad, Erbil and the southern oil and gas hub of Basra—GE continues to deliver its latest technology and expertise to local customers. GE has over 40 years of presence in Iraq and supports the country’s infrastructure needs in power generation, oil and gas, water processing, aviation and healthcare, through the company’s diversified multi-business solutions and local presence. To date, more than 130 GE turbines are in operation in the country apart from ongoing agreements to support power generation plants across Iraq.

One of the ambitious national housing projects, Bismayah is estimated to have over 100,000 residential units with the government of Iraq providing the entire infrastructure needed for a modern city development including power and water as well as other amenities.