ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s electricity ministry said Tuesday that power grid interconnection projects with neighboring countries will become operational before the summer, providing up to 1,250 megawatts as the country seeks to diversify its energy sources.
“The electricity interconnection project with neighboring countries will see its lines become operational before the summer season,” ministry spokesperson, Ahmed Mousa, told state media, detailing that imports are expected to reach around 600 megawatts from Turkey, 500 megawatts in the first phase with Gulf countries, and 150 megawatts from Jordan.
The development comes as no agreement has yet been reached between Washington and Tehran following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which triggered nearly six weeks of war and disrupted regional energy supplies. In mid-March, Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, hitting processing units and storage tanks, with Iran retaliating by targeting energy infrastructure across the region.
Iraq relies heavily on Iran for gas and electricity imports, despite US pressure to reduce the dependence. The electricity ministry said at the time the attack on South Pars field and the subsequent cutoff of supplies resulted in a shortfall of 3,100 megawatts in Iraq’s grid, placing additional strain on an already vulnerable energy system.