Saudi Arabia has launched the powergrid interconnection project with Iraq, which entails the implementation of a dual-circuit transmission line linking the northern city of Arar in KSA to Yusufiya in western Baghdad.

The project, with an initial capacity of 1000 megawatts, will connect the national power grids of GCC states and Iraq, creating a unified network that will improve the reliability of electricity supply, reduce costs and promote sustainable development in the region.

The agreement for the project was signed by GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) and Iraq on the sidelines of the ‘Jeddah Summit for Security and Development’ in July last year.

According to the statement, “Once finalized and operational, the project, alongside the Gulf-Iraq electrical interconnection project, will provide substantial assistance to the Iraqi electrical grid, augmenting its capability to meet the growing electricity demands of the Iraqi population in the upcoming years.”

The project entails the implementation of a 400 kV dual-circuit transmission line connecting the Al Zour Substation, passing through the 400 kV Al Wafrah unit and reaching the Al Faw Substation, running 322 km long.

HH Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of the Eastern Province, inaugurated the Saudi-Iraq power grid project implemented through an agreement between the GCC Interconnection Authority and the Republic of Iraq.

Speaking on the occasion, Prince Saud said that “the launch of the Iraq electrical interconnection project has thrown open abundant prosperity as well as extensive advantages to the entire region. Additionally, this project catalyzes a new era, ushering in broader horizons and expanding market opportunities.”

GCCIA Chairman Eng. Mohsin Hamed Al Hadhrami pointed out that strategic projects such as these have consistently yielded technical and economic benefits for the GCC countries over the years.

This interconnection project, which is scheduled to be finished in late 2024, will be the first to be executed outside of the GCC nations’ electrical grid system and will supply roughly 500 megawatts per hour of electricity to southern Iraq, helping to partially fulfill the region’s electricity demand.

Both the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Qatar Fund for Development provide funding for it, as per the reports.