Canada’s SNC Lavalin and the local IFC have won a contract to build two new power plants in Iraq.

The Ministry of Electricity awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the two gas-fired power plants to the firms in mid-March.

The deals cover the construction of a 250MW plant at Hilla in the south of the country and another 250MW facility in Karbala, in central Iraq.

Each project will comprise two 125MW Frame 9 turbines manufactured by the US’ GE. The company won the contract to supply the turbines for both plants in June 2008.

An EPC contract for a similar facility in Taji, central Iraq was recently awarded to the local Uruk. The Taji project will also use turbines sourced from GE.

John Dempsey, general adviser to the Iraq Transition and Assistance Office, told MEED’s Arabian Power & Water Summit in Abu Dhabi, that these and a host of other projects would be necessary to ensure that Iraq installs enough capacity to meet its electricity needs.

“The Iraqi electricity sector requires six or more years and [investment] in excess of $27 billion,” he said.