Construction works of the electrical interconnection project between the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) and Iraq have been inaugurated.
The project aims to boost electricity cooperation with Iraq and increase the energy reliability in the Gulf network. It entails the construction of a 322-km-long transmission line connecting the Al-Wafra substation in Kuwait to the Al-Faw substation in southern Iraq, to transfer 500 MW of electricity initially, and increase it to 1.8 GW later. It also includes supplying and installing circuit breakers, electrical reactors, and measurement and control systems for the construction and expansion of the substations. It further entails the provision of consulting services for preparing environmental and social studies, and supervision of implementation. The project, which was signed by the GCCIA and Iraq in July 2022, marks the first implementation outside the electrical grid system of the GCC countries. It will help fulfil some of the demand for electric power in southern Iraq. It will initially offer a capacity of 1,000 MW and has the potential to meet Iraq’s growing electricity demands, support its electrical grid and enhance energy security in the coming years. In February 2023, GCCIA signed five contracts worth USD220 million for the implementation of a power interconnection project between the Gulf States and Iraq. The contracts were signed with KEC International (India), Calik enerji (Iraq), Kalpataru (India), Cegelec (Iraq), and National Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia). The scope of the contracts has not yet been disclosed. The GCCIA aims to begin exporting electricity to southern Iraq by the end of 2024.