Some four years after first inking a bilateral agreement (MEES, 2 October 2020), Iraq finally began receiving electricity from neighboring Jordan on 30 March. Iraqi Electricity Minister Ziad Fadhel says 40-50MW of electricity will be supplied from Jordan’s Risha to Iraq’s Rutba, carried through a medium-voltage 132kV link (MEES, 25 August 2023).
Despite the line’s having been ready late last year, Baghdad and Amman only revised commercial terms in February. Mr Fadhel adds that current ‘first phase’ deliveries will be followed by “500MW imported in second and third phases.” Previously, the first phase’s capacity was set at 150MW with later stages taking imports to 500MW then 900MW: it’s unclear if the plans have changed. The project remains dependent on GE delivering a 350km 400kV line inside Iraq part of a $727mn 2020 contract (MEES, 29 January 2021). (CONTINUED - 164 WORDS)