The years pass by, and Heaven rewards the diligent. At 3:41 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2022, the No. 1 unit of the Basra 650MW gas-turbine combined cycle power plant extension project in Iraq, undertaken by CMEC as the EPC contractor, was successfully connected to the grid in a single operation, with all systems running smoothly and featuring excellent main operating parameters.

The Basra power plant is located about 10 kilometers south of Basra International Airport in the southern city of Iraq, a key country along the “Belt and Road” route, with the original 10 single-cycle 9E gas turbine units belonging to the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity. The current expansion adds 10 new waste heat boilers, and 5 steam turbine generator sets and ancillary equipment, and transforms the existing Basra Power Plant from a single cycle to a combined cycle one. After the successful completion of all steps such as water pressure test of waste heat boiler, reverse power feeding of plant, alkaline cleaning of boiler, purging of main steam pipe and turbine start-up, the unit was successfully connected to the grid, laying a solid foundation for the next commercial operation.

Since the commence in February 2019, CMEC has been adhering to its corporate vision of serving as “a leading global engineering contractor and service provider” and its philosophy of “Create Ideas, Achieve Dreams”, closely liaising with the Iraqi owner, strengthening close cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, and advancing the project according to high quality and standards. Especially after the outbreak of the pandemic, the project faced difficulties such as obstruction of personnel entry, impeded supply chain and serious delay in construction schedule. CMEC leaders took command of the project and organized many internal and external high-level meetings with PowerChina Hubei Engineering Company to coordinate with the owner and CMEC’s other external construction units to study the catch-up plan, resource mobilization plan and supporting incentives. In addition, CMEC sent its core managerial personnel from its headquarters to supervise the project on site and strengthen the matching and coordination between the owner and participating units, which has promoted the implementation of the project and done its best to recover the construction period delayed by the pandemic. CMEC has made positive efforts to alleviate the electricity shortage and improve people’s livelihood in southern Iraq. CMEC has practiced the Belt and Road initiative launched by the Chinese government and the concept of “Consultation, Contribution and Shared Benefits”, which has been highly appraised by the project owner, all sectors of society and relevant departments of the Iraqi government.