Power Stations of Iraq under construction

Power plant under construction
Power plant under construction

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 & LocationPlanned CapacityPrimary Developer / InvestorFuel & Infrastructure TypeConstruction Status (as of 2026)
Al-Faw Combined-Cycle (Basra)3,000 MWSuperior Technology Systems (UAE) / GE VernovaImported 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 MWEmirate 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-Cycle1,500 MWPure EnergyLocal Natural GasUnder Construction. Core focus is on the gas compression station and grid interconnection interfaces.
Basra Mega Solar Plant1,000 MW (1 GW)TotalEnergies (45%), Basrah Oil Co (30%), QatarEnergy (25%)Utility-Scale Solar PVPhased 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 IPP300 MWUnder MOE Renewable InitiativeSolar PVUnder Construction. Phase 1 blocks online; tracking toward full-scale generation layout.
Samwah Axis Power Station1500 MWSilver CrescentGE 9E gas turbinesPhase 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.

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