Latest news with #AdelKarim
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Kuwait Times
Iraq restores power after massive outage amid scorching heat
BAGHDAD: Iraq has restored electricity across the country after a major outage left large parts of the central and southern regions without power on Monday, officials said. The blackout came as temperatures in Baghdad soared to 48°C on Tuesday, with forecasters warning the heatwave could last more than a week and reach 50°C in some areas. 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
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Iraq restores power after blackouts hit the country
BAGHDAD: Power has been restored in Iraq, a government official said on Tuesday, after electricity outages hit large parts of the country on Monday. Electricity ministry sources had told Reuters a sudden shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant in the western province of Anbar led to a fault in the electricity transmission network that caused a power outage in the central and southern regions of the country. The temperature in the capital Baghdad reached a high of 48 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. "The defect was brought under control and fixed in record time, and the power system is now stable," Adel Karim, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told Reuters on Tuesday. Many Iraqis have relied for years on privately operated generators for power as government-provided electricity was only intermittently available. Others have turned to solar power to help meet their electricity needs. A member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and one of the world's leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In the ensuing turmoil, under-investment and mismanagement left the national grid unable to cope with demand. In March, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration rescinded a waiver that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, as part of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. Iraq is heavily dependent on Iranian natural gas imports to generate power.
LBCI
5 days ago
- Climate
- LBCI
Iraq restores power after blackouts hit the country
Power has been restored in Iraq, a government official said on Tuesday, after electricity outages hit large parts of the country on Monday. Electricity ministry sources had told Reuters a sudden shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant in the western province of Anbar led to a fault in the electricity transmission network that caused a power outage in the central and southern regions of the country. The temperature in the capital Baghdad reached a high of 48 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. "The defect was brought under control and fixed in record time, and the power system is now stable," Adel Karim, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told Reuters on Tuesday. Reuters
Iraqi News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Iraqi News
Iraq recovers electricity following nationwide outage
Baghdad ( – Iraq's electricity was restored on Tuesday, according to a government official, following widespread disruptions on Monday. Sources in the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity said that an unexpected failure in the Hamidiya power plant in the western province of Anbar resulted in a breakdown in the electricity transmission network, causing an electrical blackout throughout the country's center and southern areas, according to Reuters. On Tuesday, the temperature in Baghdad rose to 48 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Adel Karim, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told Reuters on Tuesday that the issue was quickly identified and repaired, and the electricity system is now stable. Many Iraqis have long relied on privately owned generators for power since the electricity provided by the Iraqi government is hardly accessible. A few others have started using solar energy to meet their electrical demands. Iraq has been attempting to provide power to its citizens since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. During the years that followed, a lack of investment and inefficiencies left the national grid incapable of meeting demand. Hundreds of Iraqis protested in Baghdad in the summer of 2021, when much of the country had power and water disruptions and temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius.
Dubai Eye
6 days ago
- Business
- Dubai Eye
Iraq restores power after blackouts hit the country
Power has been restored in Iraq, a government official said on Tuesday, a day after electricity outages hit large parts of the country. Electricity ministry sources had told Reuters a sudden shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant in the western province of Anbar led to a fault in the electricity transmission network that caused a power outage in the central and southern regions of the country. The temperature in the capital Baghdad reached a high of 48 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. "The defect was brought under control and fixed in record time, and the power system is now stable," Adel Karim, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told Reuters on Tuesday. Many Iraqis have relied for years on privately operated generators for power as government-provided electricity was only intermittently available. Others have turned to solar power to help meet their electricity needs. A member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and one of the world's leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In the ensuing turmoil, under-investment and mismanagement left the national grid unable to cope with demand. In March, US President Donald Trump's administration rescinded a waiver that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, as part of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. Iraq is heavily dependent on Iranian natural gas imports to generate power.
