ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Tuesday that registration for the Runaki Project has begun in Sulaimani’s Raparin Administration as part of a broader push to provide 24-hour power to citizens.

“In continuation of the Kurdistan Regional Government's efforts to provide 24-hour electricity through the Runaki Project, the registration teams have begun their work in Ranya; within that framework, they distributed self-registration letters for the Runaki Project to citizens,” read a statement from the KRG. 

Runaki aims to eliminate chronic electricity issues in the Kurdistan Region and has led to over 3,200 private power generators being phased out.

The KRG is aiming to shut off 7,000 generators by the end of the project’s implementation in a bid to reduce air and noise pollution, with the Region's capital of Erbil being classified as “unhealthy” by the Swiss IQAir air quality monitoring service. 

The KRG has long sought to curb air pollution and promote environmentally friendly projects, making them a key part of the ninth cabinet’s agenda.

“It is planned that by the end of 2026, all of the Kurdistan Region will have 24-hour electricity,” the KRG statement added, noting that over four million residents currently enjoying the benefits of the initiative.

On Tuesday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani inaugurated a major $591-million Erbil-Duhok natural gas pipeline, an initiative by the government to enhance the Region's energy supply and safeguard the achievements on the Runaki initiative.

In July, Erbil also launched the first stage of its Green Belt Project, a key environmental initiative aimed at expanding green spaces and protecting the city from unchecked urban development.