A Joint Project

Symbion and a Turkish manufacturer of lattice steel towers and aluminum conductors, were awarded this contract by the U.S. Government in June, 2006.

The project included the construction of 240 double-circuit towers and 85km of 132kV Transmission lines between Hilla and Shamiya, with a spur into the Shamiya Substation. This required almost 50,000 meters of concrete piles, 2,500 cubic meters of concrete and 2,500 tons of steel transmission towers.

Working with Local Leaders

The strategy behind the project was to provide more power to Shamiya, which is close to the city of Diwaniya, a hot spot of the Shia militancy. The hope was the increased power would have a positive influence on this impoverished agricultural region. We worked in cooperation with tribal leaders and successfully trained a local workforce in Dohuk, Iraq.

Overcoming Obstacles

The project presented a number of obstacles, including landowners denying access, flooded land, a restricted work force, roadside bombs and months of indirect mortar fire. Working seamlessly with our security partner and part owner, Hart Security, we overcame these obstacles and completed the project in February, 2008.