Al-Hartha is a 800 MW oil power station in Basra Governorate, Iraq. It is operated by Iraq's Ministry of Electricity. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 601k homes (estimated). It ranks #32 of 91 Iraq power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1979, it is around 47 years old — long-established. In context, oil supplies about 45.4% of Iraq's electricity; the national grid averages 683 gCO₂/kWh (1.6% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1008715.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 800 MW, Al-Hartha is well above the median oil plant in Iraq (300 MW). Technically it is described as Steam. Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Iraq oil capacity
- 4.0% of 19,949 MW across 28 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 2 of 18 dated oil plants in Iraq are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Iraq
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Iraq's Ministry of Electricity. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 30.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 82% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 20/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #9 largest oil power plant of 28 in Iraq by capacity.
Iraq has 28 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 19,949 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Al-Najybia · Gas · 500 MW · Basra Governorate
- ZPPG Power Plant · Gas · 700 MW · Basrah
- Zubair Field power station · Gas · 740 MW · Basrah
- New Rumaila power station · Gas · 2,670 MW · Basrah
- Rumaila Combined power station · Gas · 730 MW · Basrah
- Rumaila power station · Gas · 1,606 MW · Basrah
Location
Coordinates 30.6787, 47.7515 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Al-Hartha?
Al-Hartha is a 800 MW oil power plant in Basra Governorate, Iraq, commissioned in 1979.
Who operates Al-Hartha?
Al-Hartha is operated by Iraq's Ministry of Electricity.