Shafaq News – Nineveh

The power line supplying Iraq through Nineveh province was cut by the Turkish government, a source in the Nineveh Electricity Directorate reported to Shafaq News on Tuesday.

The 600-megawatt line, contracted by the Iraqi government, was disconnected at 9 a.m. after the Iraqi side failed to pay the agreed fees, leaving parts of Nineveh without electricity.

According to the source, officials are now awaiting formal steps from the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, which is expected to move quickly to secure alternatives or renegotiate the supply to maintain grid stability.

Last Wednesday, Kar Power Ship, the Turkish company operating floating power plants, announced a deal to supply Iraq with up to 590 megawatts to stabilize the national grid.

The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity also plans to connect two recently arrived Turkish power barges at the Khor Al-Zubair and Umm Qasr ports to the national transmission network. Together, they are expected to generate up to 1,500 megawatts to help meet Iraq’s growing electricity demand.

These developments come amid chronic electricity shortages, with Iraq’s peak summer demand projected at 55 gigawatts in 2025, while current supply stands at just 27 gigawatts.

Meanwhile, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Tuesday, that Iraq’s per capita use of energy exceeded 16,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2024. The average Iraqi consumed 16,002 kWh, up 471% from 1965, when it was 2,850 kWh, and above 2023’s 15,333 kWh and 2022’s 14,392 kWh.