Iraq will “soon” add an additional 3,000 megawatts of power to the electricity grid as it seeks to decrease dependence on imported Iranian gas, the ministry said on Friday.
The comments come a day after the United States extended a sanctions waiver on Iraq to continue importing gas from neighbouring Iran that is crucial to keeping lights on in power scares Iraq.
Electricity Ministry spokesman Ahmad Musa Al Abadi told the state-run Iraq News Agency on Friday that they are "working to introduce approximately 3,000 new megawatts to the system through production units and stations that will enter work soon, and will be among the preparations for the new year."
Commenting on the American announcement, he said: "the US administration sees the exemption as an opportunity for Iraq to work on rehabilitating the gas fields and to ensure a fuel plan to operate the production stations.”
Around 31 per cent of the gas used to generate power in Iraq is imported from Iran. The new waiver will last 60 days.
Official data show its generation capacity at 16,000 megawatts, compared with the 24,000 to 30,000 megawatts needed to satisfy demand.
A 2019 report by the International Energy Agency found that Iraq has the capacity to produce 32 gigawatts of power but can only generate around 16 gigawatts, of which around 40 per cent is lost in transmission due to ageing infrastructure. Damage by ISIS when it controlled large areas of Iraq after 2014 also left lasting issues.
Years of poor management, corruption and conflict have left the Iraqi grid aged, patchy and overstretched. Power cuts are common Mudher Salih, a veteran Iraqi economist who advises the government, said in May that the electricity sector costs the treasury about $10 billion (Dh36.73bn) a year to run but generates only 7 per cent of its operating costs in revenue.
Mr Al Abadi said that the ministry was working to diversify power generation and is proceeding with plans to connect the national grid with neighbouring states. Last year, Iraq signed a deal to connect its power network with GCC states in order to import 500 megawatts of power by 2020. A 300-kilometre power line will run from Kuwait to Iraq’s southern port of Faw and be financed by the GCC, the Iraqi Electricity Ministry said at the time.
The majority of Iraq’s domestic power production is generated by plants built in the 1970s and 1980s with a few newer gas-powered stations built after 2003.
Iraq is faced with a legacy of poor service provision caused by massive corruption and ineffectual governance since 2003. A recent crash in the price of oil coupled with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has blown a hole in the Iraqi state budget, hampering the ability of the government to upgrade the system.
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
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%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
