Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Musa told Rudaw that the new contract is aimed at “re-operating the interconnection line and increasing the amount of imported energy to 600 megawatts.”
“The line was shut down due to the expiration of the contract, not the failure to pay dues, and the electricity ministry is prepared to meet all obligations,” he said.
Earlier in April, Al Monitor reported that Ankara had stopped electricity sales to Iraq after Baghdad failed to settle dues of over $70 million.
Per the last deal, Iraq was importing 300 megawatts from Turkey, according to Musa, and Baghdad discussed doubling that amount with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar during his March visit.
Musa also said that Baghdad does not object to importing energy from the Kurdistan Region, as part of its commitment to diversifying energy sources, especially after Washington in March rescinded a waiver that allowed Iraq to purchase electricity from neighboring Iran, which it had depended on for years.
“We support the purchase of energy from the Kurdistan Region to strengthen the national system,” he said.
Following the waiver expiry, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani held meetings with energy officials to explore alternatives, including natural gas utilization and electricity imports from Jordan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
On Sunday, Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said that the Region has plans to become a major regional exporter of electricity, during the contract signing ceremony with US energy giant GE Vernova for the Bazyan power plant.
The facility supplies electricity to over 1.5 million homes in Iraq, including in regions such as Mosul, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin.
Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages, especially felt when summer temperatures reach scorching levels of over 50 degrees Celsius. The high temperatures subsequently lead citizens to consume very high amounts of power.
