Dubai's Middle East Electricity Expo under spotlight as Iraq woos foreign power plants

This is expected to be one of the key elements of discussion at Middle East Electricity February 15-18. The event has been sold out for months and organisers say the 'Iraq factor' has played a major part.

Iraq has invited independent power firms to build and operate generating plants to help boost grid capacity and galvanize reconstruction and economic growth.

Iraq's Interim Electricity Minister Ashram Al Samarrai said the offer is open to 'domestic and foreign companies'. Priority has been placed on bringing a swift end to the frequent power cuts in the country and the invitation to independent power firms is seen as a way of achieving this.

Middle East Electricity is the byword for the industry in the region, but the power crisis in Iraq has made the event even more significant. The exhibition has been going 28 years and is ranked in the top five shows of its type in the world. Running alongside the exhibition will be the ninth Annual Middle East Power Generation Summit.

'The show is held in the highest regard all over the globe. With so much focus on the situation in Iraq Middle East Electricity is the obvious place to come for answers and results,' said IIR's Sarah Woodbridge, Exhibitions Director, Power and Energy Division.

'Middle East Electricity was sold out much earlier than expected and that was clearly because the event can provide a unique window on the situation in Iraq. Now that Iraq is wooing the foreign plants in such a big way there will be a lot of attention paid to this area at Middle East Electricity.'

The government in Iraq will buy the electricity from the plant operators at a pre-agreed price. Arrangements will be made in many cases to eventually transfer ownership of the operations to the government. Al Samarrai said this is a way of getting the electricity up and running without stretching the electricity ministry's already thin financial resources.

Samarrai revealed the ministry's revenue from fee collection will not exceed $12 million. Necessary investments to put the lights on all over Iraq will be at least several billion dollars. He said the ministry would discuss projects with any firm prepared to invest in Iraq during these difficult times. Tendering would only occur if there were sufficient bidders.

Even before the recent war, Iraq's ageing power stations were operating at a level far below what was needed to fulfill demand. Baghdad did benefit from the grid, but the rest of the country experienced difficulties and restrictions.

Due to the recent war, bombing and looting reduced the country's electricity supply by a further 30 per cent. There has been an improvement in output in the last few months but it remains nowhere near the 7,000MW which would give the country 24-hour-a-day electricity.

Meanwhile, Middle East Electricity organisers reveal that more than 700 exhibitors will occupy space at Middle East Electricity Exhibition to be held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre with over 400 products areas on display.

Middle East Electricity will see extensive representation from Finland after a five-year break. China will have a major presence as will Spain and Italy. Germany, Britain and Turkey have expanded their presence a great deal.

Middle East Electricity is fully supported by the UAE's Ministry of Electricity and Water and the Federal Electricity and Water Authority.