The 115-kilometer line will allow the transmission of 300 megawatts of electricity from Turkey to the provinces of Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Nineveh through the Kisik station in Tal Afar, west of Mosul.
The project, which has been delayed since 2004, was inaugurated through a video conference.
The Iraqi premier “highlighted the importance of establishing a connection that extends to the Turkish grid and beyond to Europe, viewing it as a strategic energy option for the future,” according to a statement from his office.
The Iraqi premier noted that the initiative is in-line with Baghdad’s goal to complete the connection with the Gulf Cooperation Council electric grid by the end of 2024.
There was no immediate statement from Turkey at the time of publication.
Despite its large oil and gas reserves, Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages, which are keenly felt when scorching summer temperatures often reach over 50 degrees Celsius. Demonstrations protesting electricity and water shortages are common occurrences in the southern parts of the country during the summertime.
Sudani has repeatedly described improving the country’s energy sector as one of the main priorities of his administration, stating on multiple occasions that Baghdad seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in gas and end the import of the natural resource within the next five years.
Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an electricity interconnection agreement in July 2022, linking Baghdad’s power grid with the Gulf, and initiated a memorandum of understanding between the two countries on the same topic earlier that year.
