Iraqi PM vows action on energy crisis, sacks underperforming officials

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday pledged a large-scale overhaul of the country's energy sector, vowing to secure fuel supplies, root out inefficiency, and explore renewable energy solutions.

Al-Sudani, according to a readout issued by his bureau, chaired a meeting with representatives of the electricity and oil ministry, for talks on addressing Iraq's chronic power shortages.

The premier, according to the statement, issued a set of measures to secure fuel for power plants and continue supporting private generators during summer.

Al-Sudani dismissed "engineering and technical leaders who failed in their duties," promising a major crackdown on mismanagement in the electricity sector.

He also vowed to combat corruption in oil ministry projects and expedite promising power generation projects. A dedicated team within his office will spearhead the transition of government buildings to solar power, while regional cooperation on interconnectivity projects will continue, according to the statement.

Many households subscribe to neighbourhood generators for emergency supplies, if they can afford it, as the country suffers regular outages during the summer.

Protests over unreliable power supplies have been common in Iraq, with the most recent taking place earlier this month.

In addition to importing electricity from neighbouring countries like Iran, the government has been expanding its electricity generation capacity. But ministry figures say it still lacks the capacity to meet an estimated demand of 32,000 megawatts a day in the country.

Last year, Iraq signed a $27bn agreement with France's TotalEnergies, the largest foreign investment in Iraq’s history, to generate power using natural gas.

Many hope the deal will help resolve the country’s longstanding energy woes, attract international investors and reduce its reliance on imports.