Poor quality of kerosene exacerbates the crisis of private generators in Iraq… breakdowns and fears of shutdowns
Poor quality of kerosene exacerbates the crisis of private generators in Iraq… breakdowns and fears of shutdowns
2026-07-28
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The fuel crisis for “kerosene” used to operate private generators in Iraq has worsened, with generator owners complaining about the poor quality of the fuel, coinciding with the continued difficulty in obtaining the allocated quantities, which has caused frequent technical malfunctions and raised fears that some generators will stop working.
A number of generator owners told Shafaq News Agency that the quality of the “kerosene” supplied during the recent period has become low, which has led to problems in the operation of the engines and the failure of some sensors and technical parts, as well as the emission of unpleasant smells during operation.
One of the generator owners, who owns three private generators, explained that some of the generators have started to suffer from operational disruptions due to the quality of the fuel, indicating that the sensors are experiencing problems when the generator is running, which affects its performance, while also pointing out the difficulty of obtaining the required quantities from distribution outlets.
He added that the continued scarcity and poor quality of kerosene may force generator owners to shut down, saying: “If the situation continues like this, we will be forced to shut down the generators, because there are not enough quantities of kerosene to operate them.”
Shafaq News Agency had previously reported on the escalating “kerosene” crisis in Baghdad and several other governorates, with long queues of vehicles forming in front of gas stations.
Energy expert Assem Jihad, a former oil official, attributed the crisis to increased demand during the summer, coinciding with increased consumption by private generators and a decline in production at some refineries, which prompted the government to import quantities of the substance to fill the supply gap.
shafaq.com
