Iraq Power Sector Exposed By Iran Gas Supply Cuts

19 Jan 2024 Issue: 67 / 3 By: Yesar Al-Maleki

Iraq’s inability to develop its gas resources leaves it at the mercy of Iran’s gas balance. Reduced Iranian supplies have once again brought down power generation. It is imperative that Baghdad finds long-term alternatives to unreliable Iranian supplies.

In an increasingly predictable development, Iran on 12 January reduced natural gas pipeline flows to Iraq as a cold snap sent its own demand soaring (MEES, 19 January). Flows via a pipeline feeding Baghdad and central Iraq were completely halted while those through a second one to the south dwindled to just 10mn m3/d (350mn cfd) according to a 14 January statement by Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity.

The flows are just a fifth of the 50mn m3/d (1.76bn cfd) Bagdad had contracted Tehran to supply for this winter, and the ministry says the drop in gas supplies resulted in a loss of more than 4GW power generation. Iraqis are also experiencing cold temperatures – albeit less so than in Iran – and as households turn up the electric heating, the reduced power generation has caused blackouts. (CONTINUED - 1096 WORDS)