ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday announced that the number of people who enjoy round-the-clock electricity, provided by the landmark Runaki project, has reached almost 4.5 million citizens.

“Nearly 4.5 million citizens, or nearly 70 percent of the Kurdistan Region population, now have access to 24-hour electricity under the Runaki program,” the KRG’s Ministry of Electricity announced in a statement.

Erbil, with the highest number of beneficiaries, sits at 1,935,000, Sulaimani comes in second at 1,345,000, and Duhok third with 495,000.

The ministry further revealed that the Runaki project now covers the city centers of Zakho and Soran, providing the administrations with 24-hour electricity, adding that preparations are underway to implement the project in the Raparin administration.

In August, Halabja became the first province in the Kurdistan Region to be fully covered under Runaki.

As a result of the project, nearly 3,700 diesel generators, which pose a health risk due to their carbon emissions, have been shut down across the Kurdistan Region, representing over half of all generators in the Region.

“The KRG plans to phase out over 7,000 generators by the end of 2026,” the statement added.

The Runaki project was announced by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in October 2024, aiming to eliminate the electricity issues that the Region has struggled with for decades.