The launch of power interconnection between Iraq and the Gulf states is expected to be delayed due to regional tensions, a US-based energy news portal said.

The Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) informed Iraq that the interconnection, which was expected to be 100 percent complete and operational by April, will be postponed until the end of August 2026, Attaqa website said.

It said the completion and operation of the first phase of the interconnection, with a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW), is now contingent on the stability of the situation in the Gulf, with indications suggesting that this interconnection may be delayed until the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.

“This coincides with a sharp fall in Iranian gas supplies to Iraq to between 15 and 20 million cubic metres per day since the beginning of May,” the report said.

“It also coincides with the announcement by the US Excelerate Energy company last week that the completion of the floating platform for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the Khor Al-Zubair port has been postponed until 2027, after it was initially scheduled to become operational in June,” the report added.

(Writing by N Saeed; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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