Baghdad– In a move aimed at addressing the crisis of chronic electric energy shortage in Iraq, the Ministry of Electricity – on the tongue of its Minister Ziad Ali Fadel, announced, on April 6, to start implementing projects that mainly depend on local fuel as an alternative to the importer.
This step coincides with the efforts of the Ministry of Oil to invest local gas, in an effort to achieve self -sufficiency in energy and reduce dependence on abroad.
The announcement comes in light of the suffering of Iraq from a severe electrical energy shortage, due to the US sanctions imposed on Iran, which led to the stopping of Baghdad’s import of Iranian gas necessary to operate the power plants, and specialists have warned that next summer may be the most difficult for the Iraqis unless urgent solutions to this crisis are reached.
Iran provides Iraq with about 50 million cubic meters of gas per day, covering about a third of the country’s needs, which is enough to produce about 6-7 thousand megawatts of electricity.
In April of last year, the Ministry of Electricity announced the increase in the volume of energy produced by 3,000 megawatts, while indicating its endeavor to reach a production volume of 27 thousand megawatts.
Electricity without fuel
Ali Fadel stressed that his ministry launched projects based on complex and solar courses to address the problem of providing electric energy, noting that Iraq needs about 50 thousand megawatts of energy according to the National Control Center, while the actual production of the Ministry of Electricity ranges between 28 and 29 thousand megawatts during the summer.
He said – in a statement to Al -Jazeera Net – that there are existing projects for complex courses on the ground that depend on gas emissions, known as “electricity without fuel”, indicating that the Prime Minister launched projects in the governorates of Babel, Diwaniyah, Najaf, Hilla and Akaz for the complex courses with a capacity of 4 thousand megawatts that depend on emissions.
It is noteworthy that the cycle compound in the electricity generation process consists of thermal engines that work in a sequential source of the same heat, which in turn converts this heat source into mechanical energy used directly in the generation of electricity using electrical generators.
He added that the Ministry of Electricity recently announced the financial model of steam stations that depend on local fuel (heavy oil) and that these stations are still under study and offer offers on advanced companies, and the ministry referred some offers to a consultant, in addition to solar energy projects.
He explained that there are time schedules for projects, but each project differs from its schedule from the other, pointing to the Total project, which is hoped to enter the service with a capacity of 250 megawatts by the end of the current year.
With regard to investing the accompanying gas, Fadel pointed out that the Ministry of Oil is working to invest the accompanying gas from 5 oil fields in Basra, by establishing a gas treatment plant with a capacity of 600 million standard feet per day, which is implemented in two phases:
- FirstIts capacity is 300 million cubic feet within 3 years.
- SecondIts capacity is 300 million cubic feet in 5 years.
The minister added that the investments “include the development of the Mansuriya field, the invader with a capacity of 300 million cubic feet per day, with the aim of providing power stations and reducing dependence on import according to time plans prepared for this purpose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz2z3rxjeum
Local fuel electricity
For his part, government counselor Alaa Al -Fahd confirmed that the Ministry of Electricity aims to establish steam generation stations with a total capacity of more than 15 thousand megawatts, which depends entirely on local fuel.
Al -Fahd said -in a statement to Al -Jazeera Net that the ministry did not specify a precise timetable for each of these projects. However, the ministry is continuing to implement it within a plan aimed at achieving self -sufficiency in energy.
The government advisor added that the ministry’s plan is distributed around the following axes:
- Gas stations: 2430 megawatts.
- Performing cycle systems: 3811 megawatts.
- Steam stations: 8759 megawatts.
- The integrated gas development project with “Total Energy”It includes oil extraction, gas investments, water injection project, and a solar energy project with a production capacity of one thousand megawatts.
- Development of the Mansuriya field in Diyala: A production capacity of 300 million cubic feet per day, with the aim of providing power stations and reducing dependence on import.
- Investing gas associated with Basra fields, Maysan and Dhi QarIt aims to add more than a billion standard cubic feet per day to national production.
Al -Fahd pointed out that these projects are part of the government’s strategy to develop the electricity sector, achieve self -sufficiency in energy, and reduce dependence on import.
5 years
Energy expert, Hamza Al -Jawahiri, suggested that the planned electrical energy development projects in Iraq will be completed within a period of time not exceeding 5 years to come, stressing the presence of serious moves to overcome previous challenges and achieve self -sufficiency.
Al -Jawahiri said in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net that the ministries of electricity and oil are currently working on implementing strategic projects aimed at treating the accompanying gas burned, noting that the completion of these projects by the end of 2028 or early 2029 will provide Iraq with an energy estimated at about 1600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, which represents a specific and large addition to the energy system.
He noted that Iraq recently concluded new contracts with the American side to create modern electrical stations operating with the complex cycle system, with a production capacity of 5 GB, and the American side is also underway on projects to produce 3 GB of electricity through solar energy, expecting that these projects will not take 4 to 5 years.
In terms of energy transmission, the oil expert drew a project to extend high -end electricity transport lines with a total length of 1000 km across Iraq, in cooperation with the American side and aims to strengthen the electric distribution network in the country.
Al -Jawahiri referred to another important project under implementation with the French company “Total Enege” to produce 1000 megawatts of solar energy in Basra Governorate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nreoe_n-klw
He stressed that the total of these projects, whether implemented in partnership with the French or American side or local companies, is expected to be completed at different stages during a period not exceeding the next 5 years, that is, by 2030, with the expectation of some of them to complete 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Al -Jawahiri hopes that these projects will be serious and effective, and to avoid the obstacles to corruption that have marred previous projects, especially after Iraq has confirmed the difficulty of relying on importing gas from abroad, and the trend towards self -reliance has become inevitable.
He pointed out that Iraq has large reserves of associated gas and free gas, with fields ready for development, such as Mansourieh, Akaz, and fields in the north and Diyala Governorate, which have been contracted to develop with Chinese companies. He also drew attention to the initial agreement with Dana Gas Company and its Emirati sisters operating in the Khormmer field to supply the central and southern regions with gas, due to the presence of large reserves and can be increased.
Al -Jawahiri criticized the external interventions that disrupted the implementation of energy projects in the past seven or eight years, stressing that the current trend seems more serious and determined to overcome these obstacles, especially with the increasing need of Iraq to gas to meet the growing demand for electricity.
He stressed that Iraq needs more than 20 GB of electricity to achieve real self -sufficiency, whether to meet internal consumption or operate the large development projects that it intends to implement, considering that reaching this number by 2030 will be necessary to achieve the desired sustainable development.
