Iraq launches Saudi power link project
Iraq, an OPEC member, has begun constructing power stations and cables as part of a scheme to connect its electrical network with that of neighboring Saudi Arabia, according to the official Iraq news agency.
The connection is part of an agreement between Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to provide electricity to the war-torn country and reduce hefty energy imports from Iran.
“We’ve determined the cable directions and station locations… “We have only recently begun construction of those stations and will continue to do so in the future,” the agency reported, citing Ahmed Mousa, an Iraqi Electricity Ministry official.
Mousa gave no further specifics about the initiative other than to state that the two parties will meet on a regular basis to monitor its progress.
Iraq has also negotiated power supply deals with Jordan and approved plans to build solar power plants across the country as part of a campaign to repair crucial sectors that were devastated during the war.
(Nadim Kawach wrote the piece; Anoop Menon edited it.)
