Alstom has won a contract worth over €20 million with the Ministry of Electricity in Iraq for the rehabilitation of Najaf power station, representing Alstom’s first such contract in Iran for a decade.
The company will perform a fast-track rehabilitation at unit 1 of the plant, which is located near the holy city of Najaf, 160 km south of Baghdad. Built by Alstom in 1977, Najaf is a gas-fired plant consisting of three GT13D gas turbines and with an overall output of 180 MW. The unit was damaged in 2005 and has been out of operation meantime.
The project scope includes the delivery of a new compressor, primary parts for the gas turbine and combustion chamber, a completely new control system, major electrical components and a step-up transformer. Alstom is also responsible for erection and comissioning of the unit.
The rehabilitated unit is scheduled tol be reconnected to the Iraqi electricity network in time for the summer of 2011. Summer temperatures in Iraqi can be above 50° C in the shade, creating an enormous demand for electricity.
Equipment for the project will be produced at Alstom’s factories in Europe and at Alstom’s Jebel Ali service unit in Dubai.
This is the first of the three projects outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Alstom CEO Patrick Kron and the Minister of Oil and Electricity, Dr Hussain Ibrahim Saleh al-Shahristani, in July this year for the development and modernisation of Iraq’s electricity infrastructure. The other two projects outlined in the MoU are the turnkey supply of an oil-fired power plant in southern Iraq, to consist of three 400 MW units, and the supply and supervision of 400 kV GIS substations and 132 kV GIS & AIS (Air Insulated Substations) at various locations in Iraq.
