Iran Ups Power Supply to Iraq via New Transfer Line
(FNA)- Iran increased exports of electricity to the neighboring state of Iraq after constructing a new power transfer line connecting Iran to the Central Iraqi province of Wasit.
According to a report by Iraqi Aswat al-Iraq website, the new transfer line will supply 100MW of Iranian-generated electricity to Iraq.
Iraq's Wasit province is in need of 550MW of electricity on a daily basis but it now receives 150MW - that is almost one-fourth - of its needed electricity from the country's national grid.
Iran's electricity exports to the neighboring countries witnessed an eye-catching increase during the first two months of the current Iranian year (started on March 20).
The Iranian Energy Ministry announced in May that the country has exported a total of 1,347 gigawatts per hour (GW/h) of electricity to the neighboring countries since the beginning of the current year up by 38.57 percent compared with the previous year.
The report noted that the implementation of the Subsidy Reform Plan by Iran has contributed to the reduction of domestic power consumption, paving the way for more electricity exports to the neighboring countries.
The Islamic Republic is currently exporting electricity to Armenia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Nakhichevan, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, Iran's Deputy Energy Minister for Electricity and Energy Affairs Mohammad Behzad said Iran has signed several contracts with its neighboring countries in this regard, which will help boost its electricity exports.
Iran exported some 8.6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity during the last Iranian year, which indicates a 29-percent increase in comparison with the corresponding period of the preceding year, he added.
Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 US invasion of the Muslim country.
Both sides are working on a series of plans to take wide strides in the expansion of their ties, in economic fields in particular.