Iraq Inks Interconnection Pact with Saudi Arabia to Secure Initial 1 GW Electricity

Iraq has signed an electricity interconnection agreement with Saudi Arabia as it is hard-pressed to overcome the power shortage in the country.

“We have determined the paths of the lines and connection points and the first mechanism that will work, which includes 1 gigawatt (GW),” said Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity spokesperson Ahmed Moussa.

In addition, Iraq is negotiating to settle the tariff and establish the Fao line at the Al-Zour station inside Kuwait, he said, emphasizing the country needs 35,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to achieve self-sufficiency.

Moussa revealed that the rise in electricity prices and higher gas demand had hampered the implementation of 300 MW interconnectivity with Turkey.

Iraq suffers from a lack of energy supply, especially in the summer, due to high temperatures and insufficient fuel supplied to power stations.