Egyptian construction firm Orascom Construction Industries is positioning itself to be a major player in the Middle East’s reconstruction boom after successfully negotiating for a $363-million natural-gas turbine plant in Iraq.
The 1,000-MW powerplant at Baiji, 180 kilometers north of Baghdad, is one of five plants that will run on natural gas; all are at various stages of construction. Iraq is seeking to quadruple its installed electricity capacity from the current 9,000 MW.