Tehran: Iran will construct a power plant in Iraq to generate electricity for Shiite Muslim shrines in that country, Xinhua reported Sunday.
According to an Iranian energy official, the Islamic republic would construct the power plant to generate 163MW of electricity for consumption in Iraq's holy Shiite shrines. The electricity generated by the power plant would be used in the holy shrines of Karbala city and the surplus would be sold to the Iraqi government.
"The credit allocated for the construction of the power plant amounts to 75 million euros (over $97 million) and its first phase with the credit of 25 million euros will come into operation soon," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ebrahim Rahemi as saying.
Iran is mostly populated by Shiite Muslims. Despite risks of blasts and explosions targeting the pilgrims in Iraq, thousands of Iranians visit the holy Shiite shrines in that country annually.
IANS
First Published: Sunday, December 02, 2012, 21:56