Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity revealed on Tuesday that it plans to produce 30,000 megawatts this summer, but that capacity would fall well short of predicted peak demand of around 55,000 megawatts, implying that disruptions will persist across the nation. The spokesperson for the Electricity Ministry, Ahmed Musa, told the state-run news agency (INA) that current power plants cannot generate this amount of energy and that the shortage will result in fluctuations in supply hours and ongoing planned outages throughout provinces. According to Musa, there will be exceptions for important infrastructure such as water supply facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and hospitals.
Musa stated that infrastructural initiatives to increase electricity generation capacity are ongoing but not yet completed. Additionally, meeting even the 30,000 megawatt objective is subject to sufficient gas supplies. Iraq relies heavily on Iranian gas supplies to operate its power plants.
Iran regularly limits gas supplies for maintenance purposes or due to debts, resulting in the loss of a significant amount of Iraq’s electricity production. Earlier in April, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity revealed that the US-Israeli war on Iran has resulted in a dramatic reduction in Iranian gas supply, slashing Iraq’s electricity generation by around 3,500 megawatts. Iraq’s gas imports from Iran have dropped to roughly five million cubic meters per day in early April, down from 19 million previously, whereas Iraq generally requires about 30 million cubic meters per day, thereby making current supply extremely low.
Despite its vast oil reserves, Iraq continues to experience energy challenges. During peak summer months, energy demand can exceed 50,000 to 55,000 megawatts, while current output ranges from 27,000 to 28,000 megawatts.