PHOTO
Medina, Saudi Arabia - December 22, 2022: High-voltage power lines dominate the arid landscape against a backdrop of rugged mountains. Image used for illustrative purpose. Getty Images
Iraq is producing nearly 25 gigawatts (GW) of electricity which is far below actual consumption in the OPEC producer, an official has said.
Maintenance and rehabilitation of a number of power facilities could increase Iraq’s electricity generation to nearly 28 GW.
“This is not possible now because of the shortage in gas supplies needed to feed those facilities,” Electricity Ministry spokesman Ahmed Mousa said.
Mousa, quoted by the official news agency on Monday, said actual power needs are much higher than current production due to the surge in Summer demand.
“The Ministry has prepared an emergency plan for summer but we need more gas supplies to operate facilities that have been rehabilitated,” he said.
Iraq relies heavily on gas supplies from Iran, which has slashed exports over the past few months due to a surge in domestic consumption.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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