Saudi Arabia announces official launch of Iraq powergrid project

Saudi Arabia announces official launch of Iraq powergrid project

Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of the powergrid interconnection project with Iraq, which entails the implementation of a dual-circuit transmission line linking the northern city of Arar in KSA to Yusufiya in western Baghdad, boasting an initial capacity of 1000 megawatts.

The agreement for the project was signed by GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) and Iraq on the sidelines of the 'Jeddah Summit for Security and Development' in July last year.

A framework agreement was sealed between the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and GCCIA in 2019 for the laying of the project's foundation stone.

Once finalized and operational, the project, alongside the Gulf-Iraq electrical interconnection project, will provide substantial assistance to the Iraqi electrical grid, augmenting its capability to meet the growing electricity demands of the Iraqi population in the upcoming years.

The project entails the implementation of a 400 kV dual-circuit transmission line connecting the Al Zour Substation, passing through the 400 kV Al Wafrah unit and reaching the Al Faw Substation, running 322 km long.

The anticipated capacity to be imported through this initiative is estimated at 500MW, thereby catering to the electricity requirements of the Basra governorate, said the statement from GCCIA.

HH Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of the