Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and GE Power celebrate inauguration of Baghdad West North Substation
The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity (MoE) and GE Power’s Grid Solutions business have celebrated the energization of the Baghdad West North substation.
Located about 35 kilometers away from the city, the substation can help connect up to 1,000 megawatts (MW) to the national grid, decreasing bottlenecks and increasing the hours of available power. The event was attended by H.E. the Prime Minister of Iraq, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, senior officials of the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity including H.E. Minister Luay Al-Khatteeb, various government entities, GE and other organizations.
GE’s scope of work for the turnkey 400/132/11 kilovolt (kV) gas insulated substation project included the design, equipment manufacturing, site delivery, erection, testing & commissioning, and training of personnel. The project’s construction, erection, commissioning, and testing was completed by GE Iraqi engineers in collaboration with local Iraqi subcontractors. The facility can feed 132 kV substations at Kadhmiya, Al Shualla and Al Sabbeaat, as well as another five substations that are planned to be developed in the future and helps connect power from the Basmaya Power Plant, Taji Gas Power Plant and mobile gas power plants to the national grid.
H.E. Luay Al-Khatteeb, Minister of Electricity, said, “The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity is seeking to provide reliable, uninterrupted power across the country. The opening of the Baghdad West North substation reflects our efforts to achieve this goal. The substation will play a critical role in helping to deliver much-needed power, especially in the upcoming summer months.”
The energization of the substation reflects our commitment to support Iraq in building a robust electricity infrastructure,” said Mohammed Mohaisen, President & CEO of GE Power’s Grid Solutions business in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. “Our turnkey approach to project development helps bring best-in-class technology and expertise across every touch-point of the project. As a partner in the country’s progress, we will continue to deliver on our promise to the Iraqi people of supporting the government to build a stable electricity network that meets their needs.”
