Power Stations of Iraq under construction
Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity (MOE) has aggressively shifted its strategy toward expanding generation capacity. Major contract approvals under long-term Build-Own-Operate (BOO) frameworks for private developers (IPPs), massive rehabilitation/expansion programs for state assets with tech partners like Siemens Energy and GE Vernova, and a heavy push into utility-scale solar are reshaping the grid.
The power generation assets currently under active construction, site clearing, or early-stage deployment across Iraq are organized below by investment model.
1. Private Investment & Independent Power Producer (IPP) Projects
These represent the massive wave of New Generation capacity, heavily structured under 25-year BOO (Build-Own-Operate) or Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) backed by government sovereign guarantees.
| Project Name & Location | Planned Capacity | Primary Developer / Investor | Fuel & Infrastructure Type | Construction Status (as of 2026) |
| Al-Faw Combined-Cycle (Basra) | 3,000 MW | Superior Technology Systems (UAE) / GE Vernova | Imported LNG (via dedicated FSRU & 17 km pipeline) | Under Construction. Massive coastal site work underway. Will features 4 gas turbines and 2 steam blocks. Tied to the new Wafra–Faw GCC interconnection link. |
| Abu Ghraib Combined-Cycle (Baghdad outskirts) | 3,000 MW | Emirate Technology Company (UAE) | Imported LNG (fed via 130 km pipeline from Al-Faw port) | Site Development / Earthworks. Civil structural contracts actively moving to pipeline trenching and switchyard foundations. |
| Kirkuk Combined-Cycle | 1,500 MW | Pure Energy | Local Natural Gas | Under Construction. Core focus is on the gas compression station and grid interconnection interfaces. |
| Basra Mega Solar Plant | 1,000 MW (1 GW) | TotalEnergies (45%), Basrah Oil Co (30%), QatarEnergy (25%) | Utility-Scale Solar PV | Phased Trial Operations / Active Construction. Breaking ground on 9,000 dunams of land. The first 61 MW of the initial 250 MW unit began trial operations in March 2026; full commissioning targeted for 2028. |
| Karbala Solar IPP | 300 MW | Under MOE Renewable Initiative | Solar PV | Under Construction. Phase 1 blocks online; tracking toward full-scale generation layout. |
| Samwah Axis Power Station | 1500 MW | Silver Crescent | GE 9E gas turbines | Phase 1 Under construction |
2. Ministry of Electricity (MOE) / Public Enterprise Capital Projects
These are state-owned projects funded via government allocations or international credit lines, executed by engineering consortiums. They focus on rebuilding war-damaged footprints or expanding existing generation infrastructure.
A. Greenfield & Rebuilt Thermal/Gas Assets
Second Bayji Gas Power Plant (1,014 MW):
Developer/Contractor: Siemens Energy (Germany) & CSCEC (China).
Scope: Full-scale rebuild at the heavily war-damaged Saladin site. Includes erecting six Siemens gas units (169 MW each), a 400 kV load dispatching network, and 16 new lines for the local grid.
Status: Active mechanical assembly and civil foundations. The first two units are tracking for commissioning within a 27-month fast-track window.
Nasiriyah Gas Power Plant (921 MW):
Developer/Contractor: Siemens Energy.
Scope: Located adjacent to the aging Nasiriyah Thermal Station in Dhi Qar. Designed as a modern fast-start natural gas facility with future hydrogen-blending capabilities.
Status: Concrete turbine foundations and auxiliary piping system installations are actively underway.
Yousifiya Thermal Power Plant (1,800 MW) & Najaf Thermal Power Plant (1,500 MW):
Technology Partner: GE Vernova.
Scope: Large-scale baseline thermal blocks utilizing heavy boiler structures, flue-gas desulfurization units, and structural steam layouts.
Status: Long-term civil works and heavy equipment logistics phases.
B. Simple-to-Combined Cycle Conversions (Add-on Blocks)
To capture waste heat and generate power without increasing fuel consumption, the MOE is actively building steam tailing-blocks on top of existing gas turbine footprints.
Samawa Power Station Expansion: Adding combined-cycle steam turbine packages onto existing GE Frame 9E blocks.
Dhi Qar (Nasiriyah) Expansion: Addition of heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) to boost generation output by roughly 6% per block without higher fuel infrastructure demands.
Al-Amara (Maysan) CCGT Conversion: Ongoing balance-of-plant installation for steam turbogenerator systems.
Sources:
- Iraqi Ministry of Electricity (Official Website)
https://moelc.gov.iq - Iraqi News Agency (INA) – Ministry of Electricity Announcements
https://ina.iq - Siemens Energy – Iraq Projects
https://www.siemens-energy.com - Siemens AG – Rebuilding Baiji Power Plant
https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/siemens-and-orascom-construction-rebuild-16-gw-power-plant-iraq - GE Vernova – Iraq Power Projects
https://www.gevernova.com - GE Vernova – Iraq Energy Expansion
https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power - TotalEnergies – Iraq Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP)
https://totalenergies.com/projects/iraq-gas-growth-integrated-project - TotalEnergies – Basra Solar Project
https://totalenergies.com - World Bank – Iraq Energy Sector
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq - World Bank – Iraq Country Overview
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/overview - International Energy Agency (IEA)
https://www.iea.org - International Energy Agency – Middle East Energy
https://www.iea.org/regions/middle-east - International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
https://www.irena.org - IRENA – Middle East and North Africa
https://www.irena.org/Regions/Middle-East-and-North-Africa - Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – Iraq
https://www.opec.org - Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
https://www.aiib.org - Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
https://www.isdb.org - CIGRE – International Council on Large Electric Systems
https://www.cigre.org - IEEE Power & Energy Society
https://www.ieee-pes.org - Middle East Economic Survey (MEES)
https://www.mees.com - Energy Intelligence
https://www.energyintel.com - AP News – Iraq’s Utility-Scale Solar Programme
https://apnews.com/article/80c8e55b2231118e1521304d1eff40f8 - UCC Holding / Project Developers (where applicable)
https://www.uccholding.com - China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC)
https://english.cscec.com - Reuters – Iraq Energy Sector
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/
Nawaz Ali Lakho is a power-generation professional and project-management consultant with more than 33 years of experience across thermal, nuclear, gas-turbine, steam-turbine, and combined-cycle power plants. His career encompasses plant operations, maintenance, commissioning, troubleshooting, asset management, and the leadership of multidisciplinary teams of more than 200 personnel.
His hands-on experience includes GE Frame 9E and 6FA and Alstom GT13DM gas turbines; Mitsubishi, GE, and Fuji steam turbines; heat-recovery steam generators; supercritical boilers; and major plant-control platforms from GE, ABB, Emerson, and Siemens. He has participated in cold and hot commissioning, major overhauls, hot-gas-path inspections, and combustion inspections at power facilities ranging from 150 MW to 586 MW.
At Global Power News, Nawaz shares field-informed O&M case studies, technical guidance, equipment insights, and analysis of power systems and energy infrastructure. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
International Experience: Have worked around the world specially, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Angola, England and Nigeria.
Disclaimer: Articles are developed using internet research, professional field experience, and AI assistance. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the content may contain estimates, projections, or assumptions. The author assumes no liability for technical or computational discrepancies.