ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Halabja has become the first province to fully benefit from the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) round-the-clock power project, announced the electricity ministry on Thursday, detailing that nearly four million people across the Region are now receiving 24-hour electricity as part of the ongoing initiative.
Halabja, which is Iraq's 19th province since May, holds deep symbolic importance for Kurds and stands as a testament to their resilience, has “fully” joined Runaki project, the ministry said in a statement.
Nearly four million residents of the Kurdistan Region, which the ministry said makes up more than 50 percent of the Region’s population, have access to the 24-hour program.
The KRG has recently advanced efforts to reform and stabilize the energy sector. A key initiative is the Runaki project - meaning “light” in Kurdish - which aims to provide uninterrupted, 24-hour electricity.
“I’m pleased to announce that Halabja is the first province to switch entirely to 24-hour electricity,” said Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in a statement on Thursday.
“Nearly 4 million citizens across the Kurdistan Region — and over 115,000 businesses — now enjoy 24-hour electricity through the KRG’s Runaki program,” Barzani added, congratulating the people of the Region for the achievement.
The electricity ministry also said that over 3,200 diesel generators have been phased out so far, adding that the government plans to increase the number to over 7,000 by the end of next year.
For years, many people have relied on private diesel-powered generators, which are costly and polluting, when the national grid would cut out for hours every day.
Erbil accounts for the largest share of beneficiaries of the Runaki project, with nearly two million residents enjoying uninterrupted power.
