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In light of the electricity crisis facing the country due to the recent reduction in Iranian gas supplies, Iraq revealed on Sunday the latest developments related to its gas deal with Turkmenistan, which it has been pursuing for almost a year.
The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity firmly denied the allegations made by certain media outlets regarding the gas deal with Turkmenistan, according to a statement cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Electricity Ministry in Iraq clarified that the claims that Baghdad is paying daily sums in exchange for gas imports from Turkmenistan are blatantly false.
The reports that included paying $2 million a day are completely false because no quantities of Turkmen gas have been transferred to Iraq as of yet, according to the Iraqi Electricity Ministry.
According to the Iraqi Electricity Ministry, the agreement with Turkmenistan has not yet been finalized since talks are still ongoing to determine which intermediary business would guarantee the uninterrupted supply of Turkmen gas to Iraq.
The remarks coincide with a worsening electrical crisis in Iraq, where blackouts have spread to all parts of the country and have a significant impact on residential, commercial, industrial, government, and other sectors.
The Ministry of Electricity in Iraq revealed in October that it signed an agreement with Turkmenistan to supply up to 20 million cubic meters of gas per day to Iraq.
The Iraqi ministry mentioned in a statement at that time that a Swiss company will supply gas from Turkmenistan to Iraq through the Iranian pipeline network using a swap mechanism to facilitate transportation.
The Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, explained that the agreement will help ensure that the gas-fired power plants in Iraq are supplied with the necessary fuel.
According to Fadel, gas-fired power plants in Iraq generate around 60 percent of the electricity produced in the country.
Iraq suffers from electricity shortages due to insufficient fuel supplies for power plants, prompting the government to make efforts to diversify energy sources, increase gas imports, and invest in local gas production projects to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, including Iran.
The spokesperson for the Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Parliamentary Committee, Ali Shaddad, revealed earlier that the Iraqi Electricity Ministry will soon enter into an agreement with Kazakhstan to supply Iraq with up to 20 million cubic meters of gas.
Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding last year with Turkmenistan to import the gas it needs to operate its power plants, according to the Ministry of Electricity, which indicated that the step requires additional negotiations related to the mechanism of transporting gas through Iran.
Power plants in Iraq depend on gas imports from Iran, which cover one-third of the country’s energy needs. The deal will allow Turkmen gas to be sent to Iraq via Iran in a five-year timeframe.
