Iraq signs contract with Siemens to build 5 converter stations
Electricity transmission towers. Photo: Iran Front Page
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s General Company of Electrical Energy Transmission signed on Wednesday a strategic agreement with the German company Siemens to build five high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations.
According to the strategic agreement sponsored by the Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, Siemens will build five HVDC converter stations with a total capacity of 7500 megavolts in the governorates of Baghdad, Basra, Karbala, Najaf, and Diyala, as the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity mentioned in a statement.
The step will contribute to achieving the required stability in the national electrical grid, improve voltage levels, and increase electricity supply hours.
Iraq witnesses daily power outages that may last up to 10 hours, but things worsen during the scorching summer when the temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius.
The main reason behind the frequent power outages in Iraq is the deterioration of the infrastructure, which has not been renovated for decades due to conflicts, corruption, and mismanagement.
Although Iraq is an oil-rich country, power plants in Iraq depend heavily on gas imported from Iran, which repeatedly cuts off supplies, according to AFP.
Some Iraqis resort to electricity generators, which are sometimes not sufficient to secure daily needs such as operating air conditioners.
To tackle the issue, power plants in Iraq need to produce 32,000 megawatts per day, but electricity production sometimes reaches 26,000 megawatts, according to Iraqi officials.