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July 13, 2004

Baghdad , IRAQ – As the Iraqi citizens continue to celebrate the transfer of authority June 28, and granted sovereignty to the government of Iraq , the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues pursing projects to increase the electrical capacity, resulting in more lights turning on throughout Iraq , as additional power generation units continue to come online.

In the last week of June, and since the transfer, in places throughout Iraq , from as far north as Mosul , to as far south as Zaferina, 38 MW of electricity has been added to the national capacity.   This increased capacity will allow longer periods of electricity for the country which now shares the national capacity equally.

At the Zaferina project, four CAT generators came online in late June to add 7 MW (derated), and two Wartsilla generators soon followed adding another 14 MW to the grid.

At Taiji, unit number 4, a Frame Five generator came online June 29 to add 10 MW.

Most recently, north in Mosul , unit number 8, another Frame Five generator came online July 12 to add 7 MW to the grid.

The national capacity continues to climb with total load generation for a single day going over 100,000 MW hours on the 11^th of July.   And it reached an all-time post-liberation peak June 19 of 4963 MW, the highest level seen in a generation for much of Iraq .  However, as capacity has increased, so has the demand as more Iraqis purchase air conditioners, freezers, and other appliances as markets have opened under the liberation.

Since last September, the RIE effort has added 1355 MW to the national grid and is on track to add 2000 MW total by the end of summer despite attacks on the infrastructure by terrorist groups in theater.

As part of a nationwide effort, in part, by the Restore Iraqi Electricity Directorate of the Gulf Region Division, Army engineers, Soldiers and Civilians are working non-stop with contractors and Iraqi workers on-site to restore the dilapidated power infrastructure and improve the quality of life for all of Iraq by increasing the available electricity.

Repairing damages from more than 30 years of neglect under Saddam Hussein, Corps teams are restoring transmission lines, improving or replacing switching facilities and building or restoring more than two dozen power generation projects to produce a capacity not seen in this country before.  For more information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reconstruction efforts in Iraq to support the U.S. Mission Iraq , including additional photos, please visit www.grd.usace.army.mil and http://baghdad.usembassy.gov/ .

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