Experts have sounded the alarm over the deteriorating air quality in Erbil, attributing the spike in health issues to emissions from illegal refineries and numerous private electricity generators. These sources of pollution, coupled with high concentrations of lead and illegal fuel additives, are causing approximately 4,000 illnesses in the region.
“Smoke from burning fuel directly affects the skin, respiratory, and digestive systems, and exacerbates conditions such as hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia,” said Salar Adnan, a biochemistry expert from the University of Kurdistan-Hawler, in a statement to Rudaw’s Ranj Sangawi. Adnan pointed to the high lead content in the air, exacerbated by the use of 12 types of illegal fuel additives to increase octane ratings.
Yahiya Ahmed, an environmental science and health specialist from Salahaddin University, emphasized the geographical factors worsening Erbil’s air pollution. “Erbil is built at the lowest elevation among the four parts of [Greater] Kurdistan, which aggravates air pollution issues,” he explained. Ahmed’s research shows that Erbil’s air quality often surpasses that of Basra and sometimes even Baghdad in terms of pollution levels.
The most affected areas in Erbil are those towards the south, near the Kirkuk road, and the western parts, due to the proximity of factories. Ahmed highlighted the severe impact of emissions from illegal refineries, describing them as “a thousand times more harmful” than those from electricity generators.
A report by journalist Nawzad Mahmoud revealed that over 7,000 private electricity generators in Erbil produce more than five million amperes of electricity for approximately 1.3 million people. Erbil houses the largest number of these generators, followed by Sulaimani and Duhok. In Erbil, eight percent of the generators are located in villages, operating nearly 14 hours a day during summer and winter months. These figures exclude household generators.
Rebin Samad from the surveying department of Erbil Polytechnic University noted that over one ton of harmful gases is released into the air for every 12 hours a generator operates.
Despite having the capacity to produce 7,000 megawatts of electricity, the Kurdistan Region delivers only 3,500 megawatts due to a lack of fuel, according to Mahmoud’s report.
Sarbaz Karim, spokesperson for Erbil’s gas sellers committee, highlighted the varying quality and cost of fuel. Barrels sold for 90,000 Iraqi dinars (around 70 dollars) contain high kerosene and oil content, whereas those worth 160,000 dinars (over 120 dollars) are safer for generators.
Farhad Abdullah, a private generator owner, expressed concerns about the high cost of fuel. “We cannot profit if we buy a barrel at 150,000 dinars (around 115 dollars). I personally buy it at 125,000 dinars (around 96 dollars),” he said. Abdullah also revealed that the committee for regulating generators had inspected his generator three times in the past month. He urged the government to provide high-quality gas from the few refineries in the Kurdistan Region that produce it.
In a significant move, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw announced the shutdown of over 100 illegal refineries in the province. He also set a deadline for legal refineries to comply with environmental regulations and called on the Kurdistan Region’s natural resources ministry to stop supplying crude oil to the illegal refineries.
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