Ghalib Muhammad Ali, a member of Iraq’s Parliamentary Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Committee, said the country needs more than 5 billion standard cubic feet of gas to meet its real electricity demands.
Speaking about Iraq’s energy situation, Ali explained that electricity demand during the summer reaches around 50,000 megawatts, while the country is currently able to supply only about 29,000 megawatts. He said this gap is making it difficult to meet the needs of citizens and businesses.
According to Ali, producing 29,000 megawatts of electricity requires more than 5 billion standard cubic feet of gas. However, Iraq’s current gas production remains well below the level needed to fully support the power sector.
He stressed that Iraq must make better use of its associated gas by expanding processing facilities and developing projects that capture and utilize gas that is currently wasted.
Ali also called for the establishment of more oil and gas facilities, saying these projects could create jobs for unemployed Iraqis while benefiting from both local and international expertise. He added that increasing gas production would not only help meet domestic electricity needs but could also create opportunities to export surplus gas in the future.
