Iran, Iraq synchronize power grids to boost electricity export

Gisoo Misha Ahmadi
Press TV, Tehran

Iran and Iraq have synchronized their power grids, an important step that will allow a boost in Iran’s electricity exports to Iraq in order to address the country’s current electricity shortfall and future energy needs, while sharing technical know-how in order to pave the way for Iraq to become self-reliant, as head of Iran’s Grid Management Company, IGMC, explained.

According to a World Bank report released in April, Iraq’s challenged electricity sector faces a demand growth of over 10 percent per year. There are chronic electricity shortages with power supply standing at less than 15 hours per day. But Iran has set its eyes far beyond its neighboring countries.

Iran can become a regional electricity hub. It is already connected to all of its neighboring countries and is capable of exporting electricity to them.

The next step would be exporting electricity to the neighbors of its neighboring countries, for example in Iraq’s case, a 400-kilowatt line can connect easily Iran to Syria and allow electricity exports there, a country that is currently in great need of power supply.

Since September 2004, Iran has exported over 65 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to Iraq and earned over 5.2 billion US dollars in revenues. The synchronized power grids pave the way for Iraq to address all of its energy needs by 2021.

This is an important step in Iran-Iraq relations that are already at their highest, it also signals a leap for Iran to becoming a regional hub.

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