Iraq has approved a sum of $202 million to fund the rehabilitation of a thermal power plant in the Southern port of Basra, the official news agency said on Tuesday.

The cabinet at a meeting under Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani on Monday agreed on the allocation of the funds for the rehabilitation of units 2 and 3 of Hartha power plant which sustained damage during the 2003 US-led invasion of the Arab country.

Hartha plant had a total capacity of 800 megawatts (MW) before it was hit during the war along with other utilities throughout Iraq.

The refurbishments of Units 1 and 4 were completed by Japan's Mitsubishi Power in 2022 and 2017 respectively.

OPEC member Iraq has been locked in a drive to restore its power networks with the awarding of several contracts to foreign firms over the past few years.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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