ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A giant Turkish power generating ship harboured in Iraq's southern Khor Al-Zubair Port on Saturday to provide electricity to the country from the sea, with the Iraqi government describing it as the "tallest ship in the history" to have entered the port.
The powership known as Orka Sultan is built by Turkish Karpowership company and is "a maritime achievement that enables the port's status and proves their readiness for the future," to provide electricity to Iraq, reads a statement by the transports ministry.
"As part of its ongoing efforts to develop Iraqi ports and enhance their regional and international presence, the General Company for Iraqi Ports witnessed an exceptional event at Khor Al-Zubair Port on Saturday... with the entry of the longest ship in the history of the port, the power generation ship (ORKA SULTAN)," read the statement.
It went on to add that this "achievement reflects the high readiness of Iraqi maritime personnel and their ability to handle giant vessels with technical specifications."
"This achievement reflects the development of the navigational capabilities of Iraqi ports and confirms their readiness to receive giant ships with special specifications," the statement quoted Farhan al-Fartousi, Director General of the General Company for Iraqi Ports, as saying.
The vessel is 289 meters long, 45 meters wide, according to Fartousi. "It successfully docked at Berth No. 13 following a precise navigation plan and meticulous pilotage procedures," he said.
"The vessel is capable of generating 125 megawatts of electricity, and it will start producing power in ten days," Ahmed Musa, spokesperson of Iraq's electricity ministry, told Rudaw on Friday.
Umm Qasr Port had received the first power-generating vessel a few days earlier.
In early June, Baghdad and Ankara signed an agreement to double electricity imports from Turkey - from 300 to 600 megawatts.
Baghdad was left scrambling to diversify its energy sources after Washington in March rescinded a waiver that had allowed it to purchase electricity from neighboring Iran, which it had depended on for years.
Following the waiver expiry, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani held meetings with energy officials to explore alternatives, including utilizing natural gas and importing electricity from Jordan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages, especially when demand rises along with summer temperatures that reach scorching levels of over 50 degrees Celsius.
At peak times, Iraq can generate up to 27,000 megawatts of electricity but still faces a 19,000-megawatt shortfall, with total demand nearing 48,000 megawatts, according to the ministry.
Iraq is also exploring renewable options. In late March, the electricity ministry announced that it is close to inking agreements with two Emirati and Saudi-based companies to build solar panels.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this article
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