Iraqi PM: Power shortages due to transmission bottlenecks, not production

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said on Wednesday that improving power transmission and distribution systems is as vital as boosting power generation, as he inaugurated a series of electricity infrastructure projects in Nineveh and Saladin via video conference.

“The new projects include the Mosul Dam station with two transformers of (2x 250 MVA) capacity, the Yarmjah South station with a capacity of (KVA 132), adding transmission lines from Yarmjah to the Qayara station with a capacity of (3x 63 MVA), and expanding the Baiji substation with a capacity of (2x 250 MVA) while executing the Baiji-South Tikrit transmission lines.” A statement by the PM’s media office explained.

Al-Sudani highlighted the importance of these projects in resolving long-standing transmission bottlenecks that have plagued Iraq’s power sector, emphasizing that “these advancements will have the same impact as adding new power generation capacity.”

The projects had been delayed for years due to the destruction wrought by ISIS but have now been completed by local teams using modern technologies.

Al-Sudani also reiterated the government's “commitment to this development, which facilitates flexibility in power transmission, reduces the load on the grid, and stabilizes electricity supply to citizens, and supporting development in other sectors. Additionally, the Prime Minister stressed the government's focus on completing all stalled projects and ensuring their full completion.”