Iraq plans gas imports from Qatar, Turkmenistan

Shafaq News / Minister of Electricity Ziyad Ali announced on Sunday that Iraq is looking to Qatar and Turkmenistan for gas supplies to operate its power plants instead of relying on Iranian gas.

According to a statement from the Parliamentary Committee on Electricity and Energy, the committee hosted Minister of Electricity Ziyad Ali and his accompanying delegation to discuss the ministry's plan to ensure electrical power supply during the summer season and the reasons for the decrease in supply.

Committee Chairman Mohammed Nouri al-Abd Rabo posed a question to the minister regarding the reasons for the supply decrease and the ministry's plan to find alternatives to importing Iranian gas and shift towards renewable energy.

In response, the Minister of Electricity explained the plan to supply provinces with electricity, noting the increase in supply rates for the first stage. He clarified that the reason for the decrease in supply was the interruption of Iranian gas, resulting in the loss of 6,000 megawatts of power generation capacity.

The minister affirmed that all payments have been transferred to the Iranian side's account in the Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) and are being regularly settled without violating the contract between the two parties.

He further revealed the formation of two delegations to visit Turkmenistan and Qatar to explore the possibility of purchasing gas from both countries in order to ensure fuel sufficiency for power plants.

Regarding the ministry's plan for the second stage, the committee emphasized the necessity of finding alternatives to Iranian gas and exploring other sources, such as solar energy, combined cycle power plants, and cooling energies. They stressed the importance of ongoing work and contract signing for project implementation.

This year witnessed stability in electricity supply and an increase in hours of availability. However, since the beginning of this month, supply has noticeably decreased due to reduced gas supplies from Iran, which fuels the power plants, as a result of Iraq's outstanding debts for gas imports.

While the Ministry of Electricity confirmed that all outstanding debts have been settled and funds have been deposited into an account at the Trade Bank of Iraq, lawmakers and officials argue that U.S. sanctions on Iran prevent Iraq from transferring funds to Iran.