Baghdad - Al-Forat
The Ministry of Electricity has begun trial operation of the interconnection line with the grid of the GCC Interconnection Authority, with a capacity of 500 megawatts in its first phase, a step the ministry says will stabilise supply in Basra and the southern provinces and open the way for power exchange with the Arab Gulf states.
The ministry’s spokesman said the line runs for about 300 kilometres at 400 kilovolts, linking the Wafra station in Kuwait with the new Faw substation south of Basra, adding that the trial will last several weeks to test protection systems and synchronisation between the two grids before commercial operation begins.
Technicians from both sides followed the first synchronisation operations from the National Control Centre in Baghdad, where the load on the line was raised gradually under close monitoring of frequency and voltage.
Relief for the south
The spokesman said imported power would initially go to Basra’s neighbourhoods, port facilities and oilfields, easing pressure on local power stations and allowing maintenance to be scheduled without affecting supply hours, noting that the southern system was the worst hit by last summer’s outages.
The second phase of the project will raise the interconnection capacity to 1,800 megawatts through additional lines crossing Saudi territory, as part of a broader agreement to integrate Iraq’s grid with regional networks, alongside existing and planned links with Jordan and Turkey.
Energy specialists say the value of the link lies not only in the amount of power imported, but in giving the Iraqi grid more flexibility to cope with sudden breakdowns and fluctuating fuel supplies, as well as the possibility of exporting surplus power in future during the winter months, when domestic demand falls.
Cost and financing
According to the ministry, the first phase cost about $230 million. The GCC Interconnection Authority built the section inside Kuwaiti territory, while companies contracted by the ministry built the Faw substation and the line inside Iraq, and the imported power will be priced under a long-term contract.
The government had announced a plan to reduce reliance on a single source of imported energy and fuel by diversifying interconnection lines, increasing domestic gas production and introducing solar power projects, in order to bring greater stability to electricity supply in the coming years.
