Karbala governor says 2,800 MW power plant project cleared for launch

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The governor of Karbala, Nasif Jassim al-Khattabi, has announced that final administrative steps have been completed to launch a 2,800 megawatt power generation plant in the province. The governor's press office said the process of consultations conducted by Khattabi with the federal government, the prime minister's energy adviser and the director general of the Middle Euphrates Energy Production Company has been concluded. According to the statement, the plant was initially planned at 1,400 megawatts, but the governor secured an additional 1,400 MW approval from the Council of Ministers, raising the total capacity to 2,800 MW. The facility will be built next to the Karbala Refinery and is expected to operate using heavy fuel oil (HFO) produced by the refinery. The governor's office said the project is intended to boost and stabilize electricity supply in Karbala once it is completed and brought online. No further details on the construction timeline or contractors were immediately available.