Iraq to receive 40 megawatts of electricity from Jordan as part of interconnection project

AMMAN — Jordan and Iraq signed the first amendment document to the electricity supply contract on Sunday, which will provide Iraq with 40 megawatts of electric power at 132 kilovolts to meet the demand in the Ratba region.

The document was signed by NEPCO Director Amjad Rawashdeh and Iraq’s Director General of Electric Power TransmissionCentral Region Riyad Oreibi, in the presence of officials from both sides.

Rawashdeh said that the agreement was part of the shared synchronous electrical interconnection project, which aims to enhance the exchange of electric power and stabilise the electrical systems in both countries, as well as to contribute to the future Arab common energy market.

Rawashdeh said that the Iraqi side was ready to receive electricity after completing all technical procedures for the first phase and that some financial procedures between the two parties would be finalised soon to start supplying Iraq with approximately 40 megawatts. 

The director also said that work is ongoing to prepare for the second phase, which was expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024, and that the total capacity supplied to Iraq would reach 150-200 megawatts after that. He said that the supply capacity could eventually reach 500 megawatts with the development of connection phases.

The two countries had signed a MoU to cooperate in the electricity sector and establish an electrical interconnection network in December 2018, and an electricity sale contract in September 2020 to provide the Iraqi side with electrical capacity ranging between 150-200 megawatts.

On July 15, 2021, an implementation mechanism for the Jordan-Iraq electrical interconnection project was established as an initial stage, involving a 400 kilovolts overhead transmission line connecting the Risha Convertor Station on the Jordanian side and Al Qaim Convertor Station on the Iraqi side, according to Petra. 

The foundation stone for the project was laid in October 2022, under the patronage of Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh and former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi. 

The second phase of the project will involve completing the interconnection at 400 kilovolts, requiring enhancements to the electrical network on both sides, according to Petra.