The Prime Minister, Muhammad Al-Sudani, met today, Wednesday, the sheikhs and notables of the Baiji district in Salah Al-Din Governorate, in the presence of the Minister of Electricity, the Governor of Salah al-Din, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Energy Committee, and members of Parliament for the governorate, during his visit to the district, which he arrived this morning.
Al-Sudani pointed out, according to a statement by his office: “The importance and privacy of Baiji district, as it was subjected to the control of the terrorist gangs of ISIS, and suffered from blind terrorism that destroyed and vandalized all important sites and facilities, and cast a shadow on the living and economic situation.”
Al-Sudani announced, during the meeting, that "sincere efforts helped the government recover stolen materials and equipment from Baiji refinery that caused its disruption, which are materials, equipment, and articulated devices that can cost us millions of dollars to work in full design capacity that will make us self-sufficient in the issue of oil derivatives, referring to the cooperation of a citizen who announced his willingness to contribute to the recovery of materials whose load may reach 100 trucks.
Al-Sudani said: "Baiji district includes important economic facilities for all of Iraq, and turning it into an important economic location, in terms of oil facilities, power stations and industrial cities, represents a strategic goal for the government, and it is a city that represents an important node between the governorates of Kirkuk, Anbar and Mosul, and the center of Salah al-Din, and we prepared after sincere efforts by official and unofficial parties, the equipment, supplies, and devices were stolen from Baiji refinery, which represents a large percentage of what this important site needs.
Al-Sudani said, "The equipment is articulated devices that can cost us millions of dollars, and if we request them, it will take years to manufacture them, and today they are on site, and the security services have worked to secure the arrival of equipment from Kurdistan region to its location in the refinery."
He continued: "We consider this step as a good omen for the completion of the rehabilitation of this important site, and we are on a short timetable for operating the refinery with its design capacity (150) thousand barrels per day, indicating that operating the refinery will close the door for importing oil derivatives for all of Iraq, in addition to the refineries that have been completed recently."
He added: We directed that a meeting be held for the concerned authorities to determine the required powers and define projects, and that all be completed in one period, and we visited Baiji thermal station, the first gas station, and the second gas station, and we previously negotiated with Siemens and agreed to restore the second Baiji gas station project, which is now within the 2023 plan, with a capacity of 1014 megawatts, and we have continuous negotiations with the Qatari company regarding the Baiji thermal station, and we signed a memorandum of understanding with it during the recent visit of the Emir of Qatar, and we are close to the agreement in the form of investment.
He pointed out, "The station's production will reach 1,320 megawatts in the first phase, and it will reach 2,100. We visited the stalled Al-Fatah Bridge project, as a result of some approvals that were decided today, whether in the matter of spare parts or advances, so that work begins, and with more than one batch per day, and we visited a station for wastewater treatment, and the project is complete and well implemented, and it represents, with the network, 65% of the city’s services. We directed the Ministry of Planning to add allocations for the implementation of a treatment plant and networks for the second part to be completed in the district center by 100%, at a cost of 99 billion dinars.
Al-Sudani continued: "The government, since its early days, affirms the principle of providing service to the citizen, and all our activity is related to services, because it is a popular and important demand, and it has been long delayed. There is a delay in implementing projects due to routine, whether at the level of ministries or governorates, but the lesson is to address these negatives and overcoming them, and it is not difficult for a country that possesses the resources and the decision, and we seek to improve the economic reality, and we still have natural resources that have not been invested, and the city of Baiji is a strategic economic location project.
He explained: "Salah al-Din Governorate planted 35% of the available areas through sprinkler irrigation, or through wells, and the marketed wheat exceeded 900 thousand tons. Terrorism today is just terrified elements that hide in burrows and caves, and they are pursued with the vigor of our sons in the security services.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency