Iraq 'could be self-sufficient in electricity generation:' Kurdistan Region PM

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (right) during his meeting with Iraqi Electricity Minister Adel Kareem in Erbil, Nov. 18, 2021. (Photo: KRG)
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (right) during his meeting with Iraqi Electricity Minister Adel Kareem in Erbil, Nov. 18, 2021. (Photo: KRG)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Thursday that Iraq has the potential to produce all its own electricity if the resources are taken advantage of properly during his meeting with the Iraqi electricity ministry.

Premier Barzani received the delegation from Baghdad at his office in Erbil, where they discussed "cooperation in the electricity sector and exchanging expertise in the field," according to a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) statement.

The team of visiting delegates was headed by Iraqi Electricity Minister Adel Kareem, who "hailed the Kurdistan Region’s efforts in the distribution, generation, and management of the electricity sector, particularly in reusing the byproduct gases at the oil fields and combating electricity theft."

Karim declared that the KRG's experience in the energy sector in recent years could benefit Iraqi provinces outside the autonomous Kurdistan Region.

Barzani stated that strengthening the economic infrastructure through taking advantage of the various sources of energy instead of continuing outdated and extremely wasteful extraction practices such as "flaring," in which large amounts of gas are simply burned off as they escape the ground.

Iraq, he said, "possesses great capabilities, resources, and skills, and if they are taken advantage of, the country could be self-sufficient in electricity generation."

Earlier on Thursday, the energy officials from Baghdad met with their Kurdish counterparts in Erbil, discussing the development of bilateral ties in the energy sector.

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