Al-Sudani: US sanctions and non-compliance with the agreed-upon gas dues payment mechanism have caused a reduction in Iranian gas supplies

Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani affirmed that the government is proceeding with its medium plans represented in implementing the contracts concluded with Total, as well as the fifth round licensing contracts that will contribute to finding alternatives to imported gas.

A statement by his media office said that Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani continues his meetings to follow up the reality of electric power production, and to develop solutions to the emergency crisis in the supply of the national network. On Monday evening, His Excellency chaired a meeting that included advanced cadres in the Ministries of Electricity and Oil, and a number of advisors.

The meeting witnessed a review of the measures taken to find alternative and quick solutions to confront the crisis of interruption of imported Iranian gas.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the current government, since assuming responsibility, has diagnosed the real causes of the electricity crisis, and has worked to develop solutions at three levels; Immediate, medium and long-term solutions, as the immediate solutions represented the completion of maintenance projects, the completion of stations, the activation of cooling systems, and the implementation of projects to remove bottlenecks related to the distribution of electric power.

His Excellency indicated that the measures taken by the government culminated in bringing the production of electric power to 26,000 megawatts, which is the highest production in the country’s history, but the stability of this production was dependent on the condition of the continuation of Iranian gas, stressing that the US sanctions and the lack of commitment to the gas dues payment mechanism agreed upon in 2018, They caused the Iranian gas supply to be reduced by more than half, which negatively affected the national production system.

Al-Sudani stressed that the government is proceeding with its medium plans represented in implementing the contracts concluded with Total, as well as the fifth round licensing contracts that will contribute to finding alternatives to imported gas.

The Prime Minister directed to work on achieving alternatives and quick solutions and to discuss providing private generators with fuel for free or at symbolic prices, while continuing the efforts initiated by the government to import gas from Turkmenistan and Qatar.

His Excellency also directed the Ministry of Oil to resolve the remaining licenses from the fifth round, and to work with international companies to develop energy fields, and stressed the importance of the Ministry of Electricity accelerating the investment in generation and production plants, and working urgently on solar energy generation projects.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency