Continuing its ongoing academic and engineering efforts to provide sustainable scientific solutions to Iraq’s energy crisis, the Electrical Engineering Department at the College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, organized a specialized workshop on Thursday, October 29, 2026, entitled “The Importance of Transitioning from Simple Cycle Power Plants to Combined Cycle Power Plants.” The workshop was presented by Assistant Lecturer Hussein Alawi Salim in collaboration with Lecturer Riyadh Kamel Jalab, and took place at 10:00 AM in the department’s smart hall.
The workshop highlighted the current state of Iraq’s electrical system and the significant gap between current production rates and the increasing demand for energy. It emphasized the necessity of combining all available technical resources to enhance the efficiency of the national grid. The lecturer highlighted the importance of converting simple-cycle gas turbine power plants to a combined-cycle system by utilizing the high heat emitted from the gas turbine exhaust and directing it to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). This generates the steam needed to drive additional steam turbines and produce electricity without any additional fuel consumption.
The workshop explained that this technological transformation achieves several strategic advantages, most notably increasing the thermal efficiency of the power plants, achieving environmental sustainability by reducing harmful carbon emissions, and minimizing financial losses and fuel costs.
The workshop also included a case study of the Al-Khairat Gas Power Plant in the holy city of Karbala. This plant currently operates 10 gas turbines at 15.7 kV, each with a capacity of 125 MW, for a total output of 1250 MW. A comprehensive engineering proposal was presented for converting it to a combined-cycle system through:
- Adding 5 HRSGs and installing 5 additional steam turbines.
- The station will be divided into five operating blocks: each block will consist of two gas turbines and one steam turbine powered by a steam turbine (HRSG).
- Increased generating capacity: Each block will increase production to 360 MW (125 MW per gas turbine + 110 MW per steam turbine).
This proposed project will contribute to raising the total generating capacity of the Al-Khairat power station to 1800 MW, representing a net increase of 550 MW of additional, free power without incurring any additional fuel costs. This will provide direct and crucial support for improving the efficiency and stability of the Iraqi national electricity grid.
