“From today on, the Turkey-Iraq electricity transmission line has been increased from 300 megawatts to 600 megawatts,” said Ziad Ali Fadhil. “This increase in import volume will help stabilize and increase the hours of power supply in Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin.”
Under a previous deal, Iraq was importing 300 megawatts from Turkey, and Baghdad discussed doubling that amount with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar when he visited in March.
That same month, Baghdad was left scrambling to diversify its energy sources after Washington rescinded a waiver that had allowed it to purchase electricity from neighboring Iran, which it had depended on for years.
Following the waiver expiry, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani held meetings with energy officials to explore alternatives, including utilizing natural gas and importing electricity from Jordan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages, especially when demand rises along with summer temperatures that reach scorching levels of over 50 degrees Celsius.
At peak times, Iraq can generate up to 27,000 megawatts of electricity but still faces a 19,000-megawatt shortfall, with total demand nearing 48,000 megawatts, according to the ministry.
Iraq is also exploring renewable options. In late March, the electricity ministry announced that it is close to inking agreements with two Emirati and Saudi-based companies to build solar panels.
