The Salah Al-din power project is a 1.26GW oil-fired thermal power station under construction in the Salah Al-din Governorate of Iraq.
It is being developed by the Ministry of Electricity of Iraq (MOELC) with an estimated investment of approximately £768m ($1.189bn).
While the civil construction works were started in April 2013, the main construction and installation works were 95% completed as of January 2021 with commissioning expected in the first half of the year.
Salah Al-din power project background
Although the Salah Al-din thermal power project was launched as early in August 2012, the construction works were suspended in June 2014 due to the deterioration of the local security situation in Iraq.
The construction works were resumed in November 2019 with an amended contract between the Ministry of Electricity of Iraq (MOELC) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).
Location and site details
The Salah Al-din thermal power project is located approximately 16km southeast of the Samara city, in the Salah Al-din province of Iraq.
The project lies approximately 186km north of Baghdad, on the north bank of the Tigris River.
Salah Al-din power plant make-up
The Salah Al-din thermal power plant will comprise two subcritical, oil-fired generating units of 630MW capacity each.
Each unit will consist of a boiler drum along with boiler furnace equipped with oil and gas nozzles, and a single shaft steam turbine.
The boiler assembly will feature four-corner tangential combustion chamber, along with single-hearth balanced ventilation supported by steel structure frame. The design boiler maximum continuous rating (BMCR) will be 2136t/h.
Each double back pressure, impulse type steam turbine will feature three cylinders and four exhausts.
The other major components of the plant will include three-stage high pressure heaters, four- stage low pressure heaters, eight-stage regenerative deaerators, apart from steam-driven feedwater pumps.
The project also includes four 20,000m3 oil mixing tanks, air compressors, as well as the construction of 400kV and 132kV booster stations.
Power evacuation
The electricity generated by the Salah Al-din power project will be evacuated through a 400kV power transmission line connecting the national grid of Iraq.
Contractors involved
China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) was appointed by the Ministry of Electricity of Iraq as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) General Contractor for the project in December 2011.
Sichuan Railway Company signed a contract with CMEC for the supply and installation of a 132kV booster station in May 2020.
China Valves Technology Company was contracted to supply 643 sets of gate valves in 2014.
SGS was subcontracted by CMEC for third party equipment supervision, inspection and quality management services in April 2013
CMEC and China National Machinery Industry Construction Group signed a contract for the construction of the Salah Al-din thermal power plant in December 2012.
Dongdian Number One Company was subcontracted for the construction of turbine and associated equipment, while Northwest Research Institute was engaged for the design and engineering work for the Salah Al-din power project.
Fourth Construction of China Machinery Industry Company was subcontracted for the construction of four oil mixing tanks, while Yuhong was engaged for the installation and commissioning of the waterproofing systems of the plant.