Iraq restores power after massive outage amid scorching heat
Electricity Ministry sources told Reuters the disruption was triggered by a sudden shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant in Anbar province, which caused a fault in the transmission network. This led to a 'total outage' after two transmission lines were shut down due to soaring temperatures, record consumer demand, and heavy electrical loads in Babylon and Karbala, which are witnessing an influx of millions of pilgrims for a major Shiite commemoration. The shutdown caused the sudden loss of more than 6,000 megawatts from the grid.
'The defect was brought under control and fixed in record time, and the power system is now stable,' said Adel Karim, an adviser to the prime minister. The Electricity Ministry confirmed that its teams worked around the clock to gradually restore supply, with power returning first to the southern provinces of Dhi Qar and Maysan, and the port city of Basra regaining electricity by dawn Tuesday. The northern Kurdistan region was unaffected, thanks to its modernized power sector, which provides 24-hour state electricity to a third of its population.
Power shortages are a long-standing challenge in Iraq, a member of OPEC and one of the world's top oil producers. Years of under-investment, mismanagement, and conflict since the 2003 US-led invasion have left the national grid unable to meet demand. Iraq is heavily reliant on Iranian natural gas imports to generate electricity, though many households depend on private generators or solar power to supplement erratic public supply.
Officials say climate change is intensifying Iraq's heatwaves, making them more frequent and severe. Amer Al-Jaberi, spokesman for the meteorological service, warned that emissions from private generators are further contributing to rising temperatures, calling for the creation of a 'green belt' around Baghdad to improve air quality.
Despite the restoration, many Iraqis, particularly the poorest, continue to endure long hours without cooling. 'It's hot, we don't have electricity, it comes on for two hours and then we can sleep a little and rest,' said Haider Abbas, a father of five from Babylon province, who cannot afford an air conditioner and relies on a small air cooler. 'When I was little, we didn't have these temperatures. At 52°C, I can't work.' Authorities estimate Iraq would need to produce about 55,000 megawatts to avoid summer outages. This month, the country's power plants reached a record 28,000 megawatts, still far short of the required capacity. — Agencies
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