Baghdad: Iraqi Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Waheeb announced during a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly that Iraq aims to maintain and expand its partnership with the world's leading energy companies. This initiative is part of Iraq's commitment to bolster its electricity sector and increase power generation capabilities.
According to Iraqi News Agency, Waheeb stated, "We held a joint meeting in Washington with the Iraqi oil minister and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly, during which we discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Iraq and the United States in the energy sector." Waheeb emphasized Iraq's intention to maintain and expand its partnership with major global energy companies, particularly highlighting GE's role in supporting the development of Iraq's electricity sector.
Waheeb further explained that implementing expansion projects will require securing necessary fuel supplies and diversifying gas import sources. This strategy aims to ensure the sustainable operation of power plants and enhance the efficiency of Iraq's national electricity system.
The meeting also highlighted the significance of U.S. support for Iraq's request to import natural gas from Turkmenistan. This move is considered a crucial step in diversifying gas supplies and enhancing energy security. "Securing these supplies would help restart power plants currently idle or operating below capacity due to gas shortages, while adding new generation capacity to the national grid, thereby improving electricity supply to citizens," Waheeb noted.
Additionally, Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi engaged in discussions with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly on the prospects of expanding bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. The talks, attended by Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Waheeb, Basra Oil Company Director General Bassem Abdul Karim, and State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) Director General Ali Nizar, focused on strengthening Iraq-U.S. energy sector cooperation.