Anbar private generator owners warn of shutdown on September 1

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Private generator owners in Iraq's Anbar province staged a protest in Ramadi demanding that the summer tariff be fixed and their government-issued diesel allocation be increased. They said current arrangements have imposed heavy financial losses and asked for guaranteed quotas of 60 liters of diesel in summer and 40 liters in winter. One owner, Bashar Awad, warned that all private generators across Anbar would be shut down on September 1. He said the diesel provided by the state lasts only 13 to 15 days, forcing operators to buy the remaining fuel on the market. Awad also noted that while the Prime Minister has announced 12 hours of national grid supply and 12 hours for generators, the grid currently operates 4 to 6 hours while generators run 18 to 20 hours. Another owner, Fawzi Farhan, called on the Anbar governor to provide enough diesel for 30 days and on the electricity minister to allow a 12-hour operating window for generators. Farhan said market diesel prices have reached 1,000 dinars per liter and gasoline 800 dinars, adding that extended operating hours cause significant wear on the generators. No immediate response from provincial or federal authorities was reported.