Iraq to complete electrical interconnection with Gulf States by the end of 2024
Electricity transmission towers. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity announced on Wednesday that the electrical interconnection with the Gulf States will be completed by the end of 2024.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Musa, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the ministry continues to implement its comprehensive plan to develop the electricity sector in Iraq with the support of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
The CEO of the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), Ahmed Al-Ebrahim, announced in November that 30 percent of the GCC-Iraq Electrical Interconnection Project has been completed.
Al-Ebrahim emphasized that the authority is eager to establish connections with other systems to take advantage of excess energy during the winter. He also mentioned that Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt are the countries that the GCCIA intends to export electricity to through collaboration with the Saudi Electricity Company and the other Gulf networks.
According to Al-Ebrahim, the winter offers an opportunity for routine maintenance to guarantee optimal performance.
Earlier in October, the GCCIA expected that the project would provide Iraq with two million megawatts during the summer months, whereas energy exchange with Iraq in the winter months would reach 500,000 megawatts.
The value of the electrical energy Iraq will use through the interconnection project with the GCC countries is expected to range between $200 and $300 million annually.