PM Sudani highlights Iraq’s plans to boost energy sector

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday outlined Iraq’s plans to enhance its energy sector, boost economic development, and strengthen regional connectivity at the Iraq Development Platform conference in Baghdad.

“We are proceeding with the electrical connection with the Gulf countries and Turkey, reaching the electricity grid in the European Union, to achieve diversity and integration in the field of energy,” Sudani said in a speech at the conference.

Despite its vast oil and gas reserves, Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages. In July, Ahmed Musa, the spokesperson for the Iraqi electricity ministry, told Rudaw that the Iraqi power system produces 27,450 megawatts of electricity, meanwhile, the required load is 48,000 megawatts.

Sudani has repeatedly described improving the country’s energy sector as one of the main priorities of his cabinet, stating on multiple occasions that Baghdad seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in gas and end the import of the natural resource within the next few years.

“The government has relied on strategic projects that leverage all sectors of development and the economy, the most important of which is the Development Road [Project],” Sudani said.

The Development Road project is planned from southern Iraq to the Turkish border, connecting the Persian Gulf with Turkey. It aims to enhance Iraq’s geopolitical position, boost the economy, and create thousands of job opportunities. The route is expected to link Iraq with the European Union via Turkey.

“We have included in the design of the development road path lines for transporting oil and gas, in addition to communications to achieve the connection between Asia and Europe, and provide investment opportunities,” he affirmed.

Sudani said that the government has proposed integrated energy projects to maximize the benefits of oil production in a single location, highlighting the Artawi oil field in Basra province as an example. He noted that the project includes desalinating seawater, generating solar energy, and investing in gas.

In October, QatarEnergy announced a partnership with the French TotalEnergies aimed at developing a solar power facility in the Artawi oil field, with plans to generate up to 1.25 gigawatts of electricity.

For years, Iraq’s electrical grid has depended on gas imports from Iran to run its power plants. The country lost nearly 5,000 megawatts of power in July 2023 due to Iran completely halting the supply of gas to the southern regions of Iraq, as well as decreasing exports to Baghdad and other central provinces.

Iraq seeks to end gas flaring by 2028. The country is notorious for the deadly and toxic practice of gas flaring. It is second only to Russia in terms of the amount of gas burned off, though the Iraqi population lives on average much closer to the flaring sites than Russians do.

“We sought to introduce renewable, clean, and alternative energy elements, and we have begun actual implementation in the field of solar energy,” Sudani said.

In September, Sudani approved plans to introduce solar energy systems into Iraqi households.

“We have renewable and clean energy projects whose production capacities will reach 4,875 megawatts upon completion,” he said.

Sudani added that home solar energy systems have been included in the central bank's initiative, which provides loans under a 1 trillion dinar (around $758 million) support program.

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