Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity announced on 1 June that preparations for the summer peak demand season are “almost complete” with plans to bring generation capacity up to 22GW this summer. But reaching this will depend on the “stability of Iranian gas flows to power plants;” something which is outside of Iraq’s control.
As temperatures soar above 50°C this time of the year, the country’s ailing power infrastructure fails to cope with increasing demand. On a good day, the country’s power generation may reach 19GW, but with peak demand forecasted above 30GW, even reaching 22GW leaves an 8GW shortfall. In a bid to reduce the gap, Iraq has become increasingly dependent on Iranian gas and power imports, which now make up almost 42% of electricity generation (MEES, 21 May). (CONTINUED - 1097 WORDS)
