GAMA Power Systems Project Manager Oben Miçooğulları answered our questions about the 200 MW Hartha Thermal Power Station Rehabilitation – Unit 1 project completed in November 2022.

We have successfully completed our Hartha project. We congratulate the entire Hartha project team. Could you tell us about the Hartha project?

The Hartha Rehabilitation project is a major rehabilitation project carried out in partnership with GAMA-Mitsubishi Power with the aim of making the 1st unit of the Hartha thermal power plant, which was established 36 years ago, work most efficiently for another 10 years. Considering that the 4th unit of this facility was also rehabilitated by GAMA between 2017-2018, the Hartha project carried out with the same employer and project partners is a successful example of reliability and harmonious cooperation, which is one of the most important values of GAMA.

Hartha Power Plant is a rehabilitation project, can you talk about the importance of “brownfield” projects in terms of sustainability?

Hartha Thermal Power Plant is an important facility in terms of energy supply security for the southern region of Iraq, primarily Basra. The employment support and social benefit added value it provides to the people of the region is undeniable. For this reason, the modernization or rehabilitation of brownfield sites in the region is critical to the sustainability of the welfare level and regional stability environment. In addition to geopolitical sustainability, the rehabilitation of ‘brownfield’ sites within the scope of industrial ecology allows the old industrial facilities, which continue to be operated instead of building a plant from scratch, to work more efficiently with new technology applications and low emission values, measurable and traceable waste treatment system gains by incorporating modern filtration systems into the process.

What do you think about the future of conventional power plants considering alternative energy sources (solar, wind, etc.)?

While the share of alternative energy sources in global electricity production increases geometrically, new technologies are entering our lives. Over the past decade, we’ve been talking about the share of solar, wind, geothermal, or biomass resources in energy production, and today we’re producing power plants and equipment powered by blue hydrogen and green hydrogen. In direct proportion to technological developments, these innovative studies will also make a significant contribution in terms of efficiency. In addition, the development and spread of innovative energy storage technologies will contribute to carbon-free energy production in terms of cost and reduce the share of conventional power plants in production. However, today conventional power plants still account for a very important part of the total electricity production. I think that this situation will not change in the next 10 years and the advantageous countries with fossil fuel reserves will continue to maintain their regional weight in terms of cost/performance.

If there has been an application that can create value for our other projects from the difficulties experienced in the project construction process and the measures taken to overcome these difficulties, would you share it with us?

I can say that the fact that the power plant, which is located in a difficult geography such as Basra, was damaged in wars that took place in 2 different periods was the most difficult project that I was involved in technically with long-term serious maintenance deficiencies. The integration of the new generation equipment with the system with 40 years of history was not easy. In addition, the impact of the Iran-US problem on the region in terms of the geographical location of the power plant, the security weaknesses caused by long-term internal conflicts and protests, visa problems, the temperature reaching 60 degrees in the summer periods, and the pandemic period affecting the whole world coinciding with the middle of the project were important problems affecting the project. During the pandemic period, we continued our work on the project site with all our strengths, along with all the other challenges I mentioned. Since we are the only international commitment company that has never experienced a covid-19 case throughout Iraq, the award given by the Employer and Iraqi health authorities increased our motivation one more time at that time.

In terms of how we overcome the challenges we face, I think our most successful point is strong communication, rapid adaptation to variables and focusing on our own business without respecting the regional difficulties experienced independently from the project. We are proud that our project, which we have successfully completed despite relatively unstable and extreme weather conditions in terms of security, has been added to the achievements of GAMA, a global brand with the ability to do business in different geographies.

Can you share a funny moment you experienced in the Hartha project that you will never forget?

Although I have many memories that I will not forget in the project, I would like to mention one of them. While performing the rehabilitation of Unit 4, it was a memory I will not forget that the law enforcement officers asked me to be a mediator because we had good communication with both sides to reconcile the two tribes who had enmity around the power plant, and as a result, the problem between them was solved.

What motivated you to work on the project?

My most important motivation in the project is short and clear; job satisfaction. It was important for me to see that both your employer and your project partners were satisfied with the performance you put forward in a difficult geography with a team that I worked with on different projects before.

What value do you think we create as GAMA? What are the greatest characteristics that differentiate us?

The value we create for me is, I think, first and foremost, trust. In the projects we contribute, our employers, project partners and employees trust the GAMA brand even in the most difficult conditions. In addition, I think that the fact that my project-based teammates, even those who started to work in other companies in much more comfortable regions after the completion of the project, want to be involved in a GAMA project again is an indication that we create an important value. Our difference, I think, is that we adapt quickly to all kinds of working conditions.