Newspapers published in Baghdad today, Thursday, the sixteenth of May, focused on signing Al-Faw Refinery investment contract and working to achieve self-sufficiency in energy. Al-Zawraa newspaper, which is published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, followed the signing of Al-Faw refinery project contract. It indicated that Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani sponsored the signing ceremony of Al-Faw Refinery Investment Project, one of the major Al-Faw Port projects, between the Ministry of Oil/Southern Refineries Company and the Chinese company (CNCEC), as part of the government's plan to increase refining capacities in Iraq and attract foreign capitals and the provision of petroleum products locally.' It quoted Al-Sudani as confirming that Al-Faw Integrated Refinery Project is one of the important economic projects for the country, and it supports the refining and petrochemical industries in Iraq, urging 'the Chinese company to invest time to accelerate the implementation of this project, and he al so directed the concerned authorities to provide full support to the implementing company.' The newspaper explained, quoting a statement from Al-Sudani's office, that the capacity of the refinery is 300 thousand barrels per day, and it will be constructed in an advanced manner, taking into account global environmental standards, and with modern technology to benefit from oil derivatives for the purposes of local consumption and export, as it will be implemented in two stages, the first includes filtering work, the second phase includes the construction of a petrochemical complex with a capacity of 3 million tons annually, in addition to the construction of an electrical station with a capacity of 2000 megawatts. The project also includes the establishment of al-Faw Academy for Refinery Technology, to train 5,000 Iraqi cadres who will manage the refinery in the future. Also in economic matters, Al-Sabah newspaper, published by the Iraqi Media Network, focused on Iraq's quest to achieve energy self-sufficienc y. In this regard, it said: 'Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani expressed the government's keenness to implement its executive approach within the axis of achieving energy self-sufficiency.' It indicated that the Prime Minister received the US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Jeffrey Payette, and the most prominent files of cooperation in the field of energy, in all its forms, and ways to develop them, were reviewed, in a way that contributes to achieving common interests. The newspaper continued: 'al-Sudani expressed the government's keenness to implement its executive approach within the axis of achieving energy self-sufficiency, in the areas of exploiting locally produced natural and associated gas, generating electricity, providing petroleum derivatives, and producing chemical fertilizers and petrochemical materials,' explaining that 'the memorandums of understanding that were signed during his visit to the United States of America last April, is being implemented on the ground. A s for Al-Zaman newspaper, it followed the completion rate achieved in the submerged tunnel project. It quoted the project manager, chief engineer, Salam Yacoub Youssef, as saying: 'The completion rate of the submerged tunnel project has reached 47%, and the completion rate of the concrete pieces and casting has reached 94 %. The submerged tunnel is one of the five strategic projects of the Grand Al-Faw Port, which is the link between Al-Faw and Umm Qasr district.' Youssef added: 'The importance of the submerged tunnel lies in the passage of trucks from Al-Faw Grand Port all the way to Khor Al-Zubair Canal and their entry into the submerged tunnel towards Umm Qasr district road to connect with the development road. The length of the tunnel is 444 meters.' He pointed out that the project completion period is 4 years since the signing of the contract with the implementing company, the Korean Daewoo Engineering and Construction Company, on August 15, 2021, and completion on August 15, 2025, with the Italian co nsulting company (Techni Cal), the resident engineer's department. The importance of the manufacturing basin also lies in creating ten floors that serve as a foundation on which the ten tunnel pieces are poured. Source: National Iraqi News Agency