A team of executive senior management from the German engineering company Siemens is travelling to Iraq on 24 March to discuss deals for service contracts and contracts to build power plants, including a 750MW facility that is likely to see construction start later this year.

Speaking to MEED in an interview, Jeffrey Dunlap, Siemens’ senior executive vice-president for Middle East power and gas, said the team would be meeting Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Subjects to be discussed include substations, new power plants, distribution and service contracts, according to Dunlap.

“There are several projects that are being talked about right now in south Iraq,” he said. “Some of them are well into the phase of negotiations… and some of these are actually [going to] kick-off this year.”

One of the most advanced projects that will be discussed is a planned 750MW power plant, according to Dunlap.

It has an estimated value of $500m and will see site preparations begin later this year if negotiations are successful.

Dunlap declined to give further details about the project as the contract is still being negotiated.