Iraq’s Electricity Ministry has awarded a contract to France’s Alstom for the rehabilitation of Najaf power station. The contract, worth more than €20m ($28m), is the French company’s first contract in Iraq in a decade.

Alstom will carry out a fast track rehabilitation project at unit 1 of the power station at Najaf, 160 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Built by Alstom in 1977, Najaf is a gas-fired power plant consisting of three GT13D gas turbines and with an overall output of 180MW. The unit was damaged and has been out of operation for five years.

The project scope includes the delivery of a new compressor, noble parts for the gas turbine and combustion chamber, a completely new Alstom control system, major electrical components and an Alstom step-up transformer. Alstom is also responsible for erection and commissioning of the unit.

The rehabilitated unit will be reconnected to the Iraqi electricity network in time for the summer of 2011. Equipment for the project will be produced at Alstom’s factories in Europe and at Jebel Ali in Dubai.