Dr Shahristani, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, announced on 24 September that Baghdad planned to open up its power sector to foreign investors and may even consider extending a gas import deal with Iran, if it fails to produce enough gas to meet demand for power generation.

“Power development is one of the weaknesses in recent years. Iraq has decided, and this will be the occasion to announce it, that we are going to invite investors into power generation. That decision has been taken at the highest level and investors have been invited,” Dr Shahristani told the Gulf Intelligence Energy Markets Forum in Dubai. “Investors will be invited to build their own power plants as IPP producers. Any investor who is interested in coming to produce power and sell it to the ministry is welcome to come and see me,” he added. (CONTINUED - 340 WORDS)