Exclusive.. Al-Eidani: Iranian gas is disrupting the electricity system in Basra
Exclusive.. Al-Eidani: Iranian gas is disrupting the electricity system in Basra
2026-05-17
Shafaq News – Basra
Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani confirmed on Sunday that the province is facing challenges related to the decline in electricity production, coinciding with the approach of the summer season and rising temperatures, noting that the decrease in local and imported gas supplies has directly affected the operation of power generation stations in the southern region.
Al-Eidani told Shafaq News Agency that “the local government is working to improve the electricity supply and load control mechanisms in the coming months,” explaining that “local gas production has decreased from 900 to 350 million cubic feet, which has caused a clear decline in electricity production levels.”
He added that “the current crisis is related to the unavailability of imported gas, as well as the decrease in the quantities of gas produced from the fields and associated gas,” stressing that “the improvement in supply hours depends on the return of gas supplies and the stability of the fuel system for power generation stations.”
The Governor of Basra pointed out that “the Gulf interconnection project is expected to enter service during next August, in addition to the return of the barge that stopped to work with a capacity of 350 megawatts, as well as the addition of 250 megawatts from Eni, and another 250 megawatts from solar energy projects expected to enter service during July.”
Al-Eidani continued, saying that “there is a move to address the gas issue with the Iranian side,” noting that “coordination between the local government and the federal government will contribute to overcoming the current energy crisis.”
Earlier on Sunday, the new Minister of Electricity, Ali Saadi Wahib, pledged to work on finding effective solutions to the chronic energy supply crisis that has plagued most regions and cities of Iraq for a long time.
This came in a speech he delivered while officially assuming his duties within the ministry, in which the minister said, “Our mission is a national service mission, based on gaining the citizen’s trust and finding solutions to end his suffering resulting from the electricity crisis,” stressing that “it is the citizen’s right that we serve him in a manner befitting him.”
Earlier, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity for Production Affairs, Muhammad Naama, confirmed that the energy production system in Iraq is going through “very critical conditions” as a result of the decline in local gas production and the reduction of gas imported from Iran by half, due to the continuation of the war and tensions in the region.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electricity announced that the completion rate of the Gulf interconnection project with Iraq has reached 94%, stressing that it is hoped that the first phase of this project will provide 500 megawatts of additional energy, which can be increased in the future according to the requirements of the national system within the country.
shafaq.com
