The US’ GE has been awarded a contract to supply power turbines for the planned 3,000MW independent power project (IPP) Bismayah, located 30km from Baghdad.

The gas-fired Bismayah plant will be developed in two 1,500MW phases, with GE supplying eight of its 9F.03 turbines for the project.  

The IPP is being developed by Jordan’s Mass Global Investment Company. Mass Global has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Turkey’s Enka to build the first phase, and is finalising plans for the second phase.

The Bismayah plant will support the Baghdad and Bismayah areas and will generate the equivalent power required to supply more than five million Iraqi households.

In August, MEED reported that progress was being made with the planned 3,000MW Rumaila IPP in Basra City in the southern part of Iraq.

The local-Jordanian developer Shamara Group has awarded an estimated $2.5bn contract to the Iran-based Mapna Group to develop the Rumaila plant.

MEED reported in March 2014 that Shamara Group was one of the developers in direct negotiations with Iraq’s Electricity Ministry to develop an IPP as part of the country’s efforts to reduce the supply-demand deficit, which results in some areas receiving less than 6 hours a day of electricity.

In addition to the directly negotiated IPPS, Baghdad is also hoping to make progress with the country’s first publicly tendered independent power project (IPP).

MEED reported in August that 12 groups had been invited to submit proposals for the 750MW Al-Samawa IPP, which will be located in the Al-Samawa governorate in the south of the country.

Iraq’s Electricity Ministry has set a provisional submission date in late November.

The Al-Samawa plant will use GE turbine purchased as part of the ministry’s mega-deal with the US’ GE and Germany’s Siemens in 2009 for turbines for fast-track power projects. The IPP is scheduled to use four 175MW turbines. As part of the scheme, bidders will be required to purchase the turbines.