Official: Iran Agrees to Boost Electricity Exports to Iraq

Iran has agreed to increase its power supplies to neighboring Iraq after a relevant demand by Baghdad, Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Hooshang Falahatiyan announced on Saturday.
Speaking to FNA today, Falahatiyan said that Iraq has asked for importing an extra 500 megawatts of electricity from Iran, adding, “Iran has declared its implicit agreement with the request and Iran will export (the extra electricity) to Iraq during wintertime when the country has excess electricity.”

Last month, Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian expressed pleasure in the growing volume of Iran’s power exports to the neighboring states, and said Iraq, a main consumer of Iranian electricity, has called on Tehran to boost power supplies to the country.

“We are moving on a growing trend in exporting electricity to the neighboring countries, including Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Chitchian told FNA in Tehran at the time.

“Recently, Iraq’s power officials have contacted us to increase Iran’s electricity exports to the country,” he added.

He underlined that the neighboring countries have become aware of Iran’s capabilities in the power industry and therefore they have asked Iran to build power plants for them.

The Islamic Republic is currently exporting electricity to Armenia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Nakhichevan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Earlier in May, Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad announced that the country’s electricity exports have increased 40% since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started March 21), and said Tehran has signed several contracts with the neighboring states to export electricity.

He said Iran is expected to export about 10bln kilowatts of electricity in the current Iranian year.

Behzad also said Iran has signed several contracts with its neighboring countries in this regard, which will help boost its electricity exports.