| Kippreport.com

The award of the Mansuriyah plant contract to Alstom, which is already taking part in Iraq projects such as the Nineveh power plant and the Baghdad metro, was announced as part of a visit to Iraq by French Trade Minister Pierre Lellouche.

“The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister confirmed…the award of the Mansuriyah electrical power plant contract to Alstom for a total value of $550 million,” a statement from Lellouche’s office said.

Oil services group Technip will also sign two agreements relating to Iraqi oil fields on Wednesday, the statement said.

Iraq’s power infrastructure has been badly damaged by decades of war and sanctions, and 8-1/2 years after the U.S.-led invasion its national grid still only supplies a few hours of power a day. (Reporting By Lionel Laurent; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)