Iraq has signed a deal with Iran to import 25 million square meter of natural gas per day to fuel its power stations.

Despite its huge natural resources, Iraq is not able to use own gas because the production of gas will not be effective in Mansur field at least until 2017, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Electricity Ministry Abdulkarim al-Mudarris.

The natural gas will be exported from Iran through a 130 km long pipeline from Iran though Naft Khana in Diyala province, through Naftkhna oil field to Baghdad.

The deal will be effective for five years and the project is expected to be completed in 11 months, al-Mudarris said.

The natural gas will fuel Baghdad’s al-Quds and al-Sadr power stations to produce 2,500 megawatts of electricity as demand for power increases during the hot summer in the country that rise to about 50 Celsius degrees.

Iraq’s electricity grid currently can provide only about 7,000 megawatts while the country’s need is normally about 15,000.

Iraq opened a new power station in Missan province earlier this week with a capacity of 200 megawatts. The government is turning to gas-fuelled power stations to reduce the severe shortcoming in power.





AKnews