Jordan and Iraq signed on Sunday the first amendment document to the electricity sale contract, to supply Iraq with electricity through a voltage of 132 kilovolts, aiming to feed the loads of the area of “Rutba” with a capacity of about 40 megawatts.

The document was signed on the Jordanian side by the General Manager of the National Electric Power Company, Engineer Amjad Rawashdeh, and on the Iraqi side by the General Manager of the General Company for Electricity Transmission in the Central Region, Engineer Riad Aribi, in the presence of officials from both sides.

Rawashdeh stated that this agreement comes within the aspirations of both the Jordanian and Iraqi sides to start establishing the common synchronous electrical interconnection, which will contribute to enhancing the exchange of electrical energy and stabilizing the electrical systems in both countries. This will be an essential part of the future Arab common energy market.

"All technical procedures for the first phase have been completed, and the Iraqi side is now ready to receive electricity. We will work on completing some financial procedures between the two sides in preparation for starting to supply the Iraqi side with about 40 megawatts in the first phase, while work is currently underway to prepare for the second phase, which is expected to be completed during the third quarter of the current year," he added.

Rawashdeh explained that after completing the second phase, the total capacity to be supplied to Iraq will reach around 150-200 megawatts, and with the development of connection phases in the medium term, the supply rate could reach 500 megawatts.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Dec. 29, 2018, between the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, aiming to cooperate in the field of electricity and establish a synchronized electrical interconnection network between the two countries.