Gas projects to put an end to Iraq’s power crisis – official

Gas projects in the OPEC member Iraq are set to put an end to the country’s power crisis said an Iraqi official on Tuesday.

Gas imports from Iran have cost the country around six trillion Iraqi dinars ($4.5 billion) every year over the past decade, said Electricity Ministry spokesman Ahmed Mousa.

Mousa said to the Iraqi News Agency that power shortages have worsened due to Tehran’s decision to reduce gas supplies amid Baghdad’s failure to pay.

“Iraq is now suffering from a power supply crisis after a decline in Iranian gas supplies because of Iraq’s failure to pay for the gas,” he said.

“This crisis has existed since 2003 due to faulty policies…we hope that the crisis will be tackled when we start to reply on our gas rather than foreign supplies.”

According to the Oil Ministry, Iraq controls around four trillion cubic metres of natural gas deposits.