Power, people and education at the heart of Siemens commitment to the Iraqi people

Siemens’ President and CEO Joe Kaeser met with Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider Al-Abadi, in Baghdad to discuss the company’s strategic roadmap for repowering Iraq, a series of short, medium and long-term plans designed to meet the reconstruction goals of Iraq and support the country’s economic development. Kaeser also announced the donation of a smart health clinic, the funding of the first “School of the Future”, a USD 60 million software grant for universities of Iraq, and the training of more than 1,000 Iraqis in vocational education. 

Under the “Roadmap for the Electrification of the New Iraq”, Siemens is ready to add 11 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity over four years to ensure 23 million Iraqis across the country have reliable and sustainable electricity 24/7. This would boost current generation capacity by almost 50 percent. The economic viability of the plan is secured by billions of US dollars in potential fuel savings and revenue generation for the electricity sector, supporting the development of the future Iraq. The company also envisions the creation of tens of thousands of jobs over the course of the projects. The roadmap emphasizes people at its core – and is the result of a 12-month study to develop a comprehensive and tailored redevelopment plan. It focuses on energy, education, compliance and financing, aiming to advance sustainable economic development, national security and quality of life for the people of Iraq. 

“Prime Minister Al-Abadi and I had a very constructive meeting where we discussed the comprehensive Siemens roadmap to build a better future for the Iraqi people,” said Joe Kaeser. “We made a promise to the Iraqi people and we want to make it happen. In Egypt, we have done the same and successfully built up the power infrastructure in record time with the highest efficiency. Our roadmap for Iraq can deliver uninterrupted electricity to people’s homes and entire cities; create thousands of jobs for the country’s youth; and support their education and skills development so they can contribute to the New Iraq.”

The smart health clinic from Siemens will be equipped with the company’s medical devices, and will seek to improve the quality of life by making healthcare more accessible. It would support the rehabilitation of populations in liberated areas of the country and treat up to 10,000 patients per year. Kaeser also pledged to develop a concept for Iraq’s most modern, modular school, powered by renewables. Siemens will fund one ‘School of the Future”, supporting the rebuilding of the education sector in the country. In addition, he announced a USD 60 million software grant to empower local university students with the digital skills essential for the future. Through the grant, Iraqi university students would have access to Siemens’ Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software, which enables the digitalization of industry.

Siemens’ Iraq Roadmap outlines eight objectives to benefit the people of Iraq, the country’s national security and its economic development. These include reducing energy losses, introducing smart grids, strengthening the transmission grid, modernizing existing power plants, adding new generation capacities in deprived areas, connecting Iraq to the Arab Gulf region, putting Iraq’s national resources to work, and investing in its people. 

Modernizing the country’s energy infrastructure is intended to be completed in stages, from immediate improvement for up to 300,000 people, which can be operational within three months, to medium and long-term projects that require between 10 and 24 months’ completion time and beyond. The company will also assist Iraq’s government in securing appropriate finance packages provided by international commercial banks, Export Credit Agencies and supported by the German Government. 

The roadmap lays out plans to use Iraq’s valuable natural resources more efficiently by utilizing flare gas capture and treatment technologies to deliver a domestic source of fuel to Iraq’s power generation sector, as well as create a long-term source of revenue for the government to finance power generation, transmission, and distribution projects. 

As part of its commitment to driving sustainable growth, Siemens intends to support social development in Iraq with a series of training and education programs. This includes technical and vocational training as well as transparency and anti-corruption education, in order to build a pool of highly skilled, local talent with a culture of compliance. Under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Siemens aims to provide vocational training, starting with 1,000 young Iraqis. 

Siemens initially presented the Roadmap to the Government of Iraq during the Iraq Reconstruction Conference in Kuwait, in February 2018. At the same time, the company signed a declaration of intent with BMZ with both parties agreeing to jointly contribute to the reconstruction and development of Iraq in areas including technical and vocational training, as well as transparency and anti-corruption.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2017, which ended on September 30, 2017, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion and net income of €6.2 billion. At the end of September 2017, the company had around 377,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.