Iraq has inaugurated a new 400-kilovolt transmission line connecting Maysan and Amarah, a key 52-kilometer project aimed at strengthening electricity delivery across the south and stabilizing the national grid.
Electricity Minister Ziyad Ali Fadhil said the line — built with 119 transmission towers and capable of carrying 1,000 megawatts — will help stabilize voltage and enhance power supply to households and industries across southern and central provinces.
He noted that this new link completes a network of four high-voltage lines launched in August by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, designed to better connect Iraq’s southern and central Euphrates regions.
The Maysan–Amarah line is part of a wider 412-kilometer ultra-high-voltage system stretching through Basra, al-Nasiriyah, Samawah, al-Diwaniyah, Maysan, and Wasit, supported by 960 towers that integrate Iraq’s main southern provinces into a stronger grid backbone.
Despite these efforts, Iraq continues to face chronic electricity shortages, with peak summer demand exceeding supply by more than 8,000 megawatts. The country still relies heavily on Iranian gas and power imports, but frequent disruptions have prompted Baghdad to accelerate diversification and domestic generation projects.
In July, the Eco Iraq Observatory warned that summer demand could hit 50,000 to 55,000 megawatts, while actual generation remains around 28,000 megawatts — less than half of national needs.
The new transmission line, officials say, is a step forward in closing that gap and improving energy reliability for millions of Iraqis in the country’s south.
