Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s recent agreement with General Electric (GE) involves securing 10,000 megawatts of cross-border electricity imports from neighboring countries by 2027, according to member of Parliament’s Electricity and Energy Committee, Riyadh Adai. Adai’s remarks followed the committee’s meeting with the Iraqi electricity minister on Saturday, according to local news outlet Shafaq News. Under the new deal, the US energy company will be able to get 10,000 megawatts via electricity interconnections with countries in the region.
The agreement signed during the recent visit of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the United States also includes the expansion of domestic combined-cycle power plants, as well as the upgrade of national transmission networks. Earlier in July, Iraqi Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib said that the government prioritizes the electricity interconnection project with Saudi Arabia as part of its efforts to diversify energy sources. In an interview with Asharq News in Washington, Wahib stated that Iraq’s electricity grid now has a shortage ranging between 35,000 and 40,000 megawatts.
Baghdad is actively working to diversify its electricity sources through various regional interconnection projects. According to Wahib, Iraq has a 600-megawatt interconnection project with Turkey and an approximately 500-megawatt project with Jordan. Additionally, there is a 600-megawatt interconnection project with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) grid that is still in progress.
The electrical interconnection project with Saudi Arabia, projected to have a capacity of 1,000 to 2,000 megawatts, has not yet entered the execution phase. However, it has become a priority for the Iraqi government, according to Wahib. Iraq experiences significant summer energy shortages, with peak demand exceeding 60,000 megawatts and limited local power generation capacity.
Electricity interconnection with neighboring countries will lessen dependency on centralized power providers while stabilizing local grid performance. The post General Electric to add 10,000 megawatts to Iraq’s grid in 2027 appeared first on Iraqi News.
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