Iraq increases electric power production
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, accompanied by energy officials in a power plant in Maysan governorate, Iraq. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, inaugurated on Thursday two add-on power plants with a production capacity of 250 megawatts in Maysan governorate in southeastern Iraq, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
During the opening ceremony, Al-Sudani stated that this project is one of the strategic projects that will contribute to reducing the expenditure of the operational budget, especially with regard to gas imports, and will supply the national grid with 250 megawatts.
The Iraqi Prime Minister indicated that the government and the Electricity Ministry focused on constructing combined cycle power plants.
Al-Sudani elaborated that the government signed contracts to produce 1140 megawatts of electric power from combined cycle power plants and is targeting a total electric production of 4,000 megawatts without the need for additional fuel.
During a meeting with Iraqi officials in the energy sector in mid-July, the Iraqi Prime Minister noted that the US sanctions and non-compliance with the gas dues payment mechanism agreed upon in 2018 caused a 50 percent reduction in gas supplies from Iran, which negatively affected electricity production in Iraq.
The Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, told INA on Tuesday that a joint committee has been formed to discuss importing gas from Qatar and Turkmenistan.