SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Iraq has agreed to send a team to Iran to examine possible resumption of gas supplies to support its power plants as the country faces acute electricity shortages.
The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Musa, told Rudaw News on Thursday that a special delegation will soon visit Iran to discuss the resumption of gas supplies to Iraq.
Musa stated that the scheduled visit is part of arrangements for the summertime to avoid a catastrophic power outage during the hot months.
The Iraqi Electricity Ministry said in late December that gas supplies from Iran had been interrupted, leading to a shutdown of some power-producing facilities and reduced production at others.
The interruption in Iranian gas supplies has resulted in the loss of 4,000 to 4,500 megawatts of electricity in Iraq’s electrical grid, according to a statement released by the Electricity Ministry.
Gas imports from Iran are important for Iraq to generate electricity. However, US sanctions imposed on Iran make it difficult for Baghdad to pay for the Iranian gas.
Iranian media mentioned earlier that the stop in gas deliveries to Iraq was due to increased domestic usage of natural gas as temperatures declined in several sections of the country.
Iran provides between a third and 40 percent of Iraq’s gas and electricity requirements.
Iraq’s peak winter power usage is over 48,000 megawatts, while local supply is around 27,000 megawatts, forcing the country to rely on imports to make up the deficit.
Courtesy: www.iraqinews.com
