Iraq’s Minister of Electricity Urges U.S. Companies to Bid on Iraq Projects Washington, DC – December 10, 2007

Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Dr. Karim W. Hasan, is urging U.S. companies to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq’s electricity sector by bidding on Ministry of Electricity projects. “We have the money, the manpower, and the fuel, but we need the material and the supervision”, Minister Karim said today at the U.S. Energy Association’s offices in Washington, DC. “I am here to urge U.S. companies to participate in Iraqi reconstruction”, said Minister Karim.

The Ministry of Electricity plans to spend $27 billion from now to 2016 to build new generation and transmission capacity, as well as rehabilitate existing plants and equipment, in order to fill the 4,000 MW gap between current capacity and projected demand. In 2009 alone, the Ministry is seeking participation in projects for 2,260 MW of new generation capacity, and the rehabilitation of an additional 960 MW. Iraq also has bigger plans for its electrical system and is working with the Gulf Cooperation Council on long-term plans to serve as a conduit for off-season (winter) export of excess power to European markets (via Turkey) and with the World Bank on a new regulatory scheme that would permit the move from an exclusively publicly-owned system, to a privately owned system.

In the near-term, however, the Minister emphasized the urgent need for U.S. companies to bid on current projects. The Ministry is posting these projects on its website: www.moelc.gov.iq (click on “Tenders” on the right side). Minister Karim also emphasized the readiness of his staff to engage with companies who have questions about these projects: “Companies will have no difficulties in finding out any specifications of any tender,” Minister Karim promised. Email addresses at the relevant directorates are almost always included in Ministry of Electricity tender announcements. The Ministry is also working with its partners at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to further streamline and improve the tendering process.

U.S. companies interested in bidding on Ministry of Electricity tenders must first either register their company directly with Iraq’s Ministry of Trade (www.motiraq.org/default_en.aspx) or partner with a local firm for their bidding. For help on either process, or to find out more about doing business in Iraq in general and with the Ministry of Electricity in particular, firms may visit the U.S. Commerce Department’s Iraq websites at www.export.gov/iraq and www.buyusa.gov/iraq or contact us directly at:IraqInfo@mail.doc.gov or 1-866-352-IRAQ.

Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force
Market Access and Compliance
International Trade Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
1-866-352-IRAQ
www.export.gov/iraq

Page Updated: October 7, 2008