MP Mona Al-Gharabi has questioned the Ministry of Electricity’s continued reliance on gas-fired power plants, arguing that the policy places a heavy financial burden on the state and should be reconsidered.
Speaking on Tuesday, Al-Gharabi said the ministry’s ongoing purchase of gas-powered generation units raises important questions because of the large amounts of money being spent on these projects. She suggested that decision-makers should reassess whether this approach remains the most cost-effective option for Iraq’s electricity sector.
According to Al-Gharabi, the ministry could instead focus on steam power plants, which she believes would be less costly and offer additional advantages. She noted that such plants could potentially be manufactured locally, helping support domestic industry while also providing strong electricity generation capacity.
She stressed that reviewing the current contracting strategy has become increasingly important, particularly as Iraq continues to face electricity shortages and growing pressure to improve the efficiency of public spending.
Al-Gharabi said a reassessment of electricity-sector contracts could help ensure that government funds are used more effectively and that investments deliver better results for the national power grid.
Her remarks come amid broader parliamentary scrutiny of the electricity sector, with lawmakers calling for greater oversight, investigations into past contracts, and new strategies to address Iraq’s long-standing power challenges.
