Iran reconnects Iraq's power grid, Tehran minister says

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said Iraq's electricity grid, which was cut off entirely during the war, has been reconnected with Iran's support. Speaking at the inauguration of a steam unit at the Rudshur combined-cycle power plant south of Tehran, Aliabadi said Iran is currently linked in the electricity sector with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Iraq. He added that Iran will soon begin connecting its grid with Qatar and is working on links with other Gulf states. Aliabadi said the use of steam from cooling boilers added 345 megawatts to the plant's installed capacity and that modern techniques achieved significant water savings. The project was connected to the national grid last year through the efforts of relevant institutions and the private sector, and was put into operation after the sustainability of production was confirmed. With the added capacity, Iran's national grid installed production capacity has exceeded 100,315 megawatts, according to the minister.