Iraq’s Electricity Ministry has awarded two contracts worth $85m each to Canada’s SNC Lavalin and the local Uruk Engineering Services.

Under its contract, SNC Lavalin will install two gas turbines at the Hilla power plant, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad. The turbines will have capacity of 125MW each.

Uruk will install four turbines with total capacity of 160MW at the Al-Taji power plant, north of Baghdad.

The US’ GE supplied the turbines after securing a $3bn contract from the Iraqi government. The deal was signed in December 2008. GE will provide 50 gas turbines with total capacity of 7,000MW for power projects in the country.

Germany’s Siemens also signed a $2.1bn deal to supply 16 gas turbines with total capacity of 3,150MW to Iraq.

Iraq currently produces about 6,000MW of power a day. This is far short of the daily demand of nearly 10,000MW.