Long-anticipated power supplies from Jordan to neighboring Iraq have once again been postponed, this time from early-September to October. The initial phase is for 40MW to be supplied through a medium-voltage 132kV link crossing the border from Jordan’s Risha to Iraq’s Rutba (MEES, 25 August). Jordanian media quote an Iraqi source relating the delay to recent attacks on transmission pylons and the impact of high temperatures.
Iraq struggles to balance its grid during summer peak demand season, periodically shutting down power plants and substations due to the heat and/or insufficient gas supplies from Iran (MEES, 16 June). Its unclear whether the delay is linked to US firm GE’s ongoing work on a 350km 400kV line inside Iraq that will enable full phase one capacity of 150MW. (CONTINUED - 128 WORDS)