By the beginning of 2015, Kurdistan will be able to produce 6,000 Mega Watts and thus it can export electricity, Kurdistan electricity minister said.

Currently the region produces almost 2,000MWs and provides the citizens with 22 hours of power daily, Yasin Abu-Bakir said.

From the 2,000MWs some 200MWs is exported to Kirkuk and 50MWs to Nineveh.

The Ministry of Electricity with the assistance of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has set a plan to increase the production capacity to 6,000MWs in 2015, the minister said.

Abu-Bakir added by 2015 certainly Kurdistan demand which amounts to 3,000MWs will be provided and the surplus will be exported.

The minister noted that the stable security situation in Kurdistan and the improvement of sustenance of Kurdistan residents have contributed in increasing the demand for power supply rapidly.

"The demand increases 15% annually in Kurdistan while the rate fluctuates between 3% and 5% in most of the countries," according to Abu-Bakir.

Yesterday KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani laid the corner stone of the first combined cycle power plant in Erbil which increases the production capacity of Erbil Plant from 1,000 MWs to 1,500MWs.

Source: Zawya