Iraq’s electrical system could be producing as much as 12,000 megawatts of power by the end of this year, the electricity minister said Wednesday. Speaking at the opening of the Beiji Mobile Power Plant just north of Tikrit, Ayham al-Sammarae said the new plant, which went online Wednesday, will supply 184 megawatts of power to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ongoing Restore Iraqi Electricity program. "Hopefully we’ll be able to reach 12,000 megawatts by the end of the year," he told electrical workers, U.S. engineers and soldiers.
As opposed to less than 3,000 megawatts before the war, most of it diverted to Baghdad.
The power station, about 140 miles north of Baghdad, is made up of eight portable diesel-powered turbine generators and is expected to push overall electricity production for the national grid to 6,000 megawatts by the summer, al-Sammarae said.
The reconstruction continues. Wonder how the Democrats will spin this one? |