By: AGBI

Gas flows to Iraq from Iran have restarted after Tehran cut off supply to undertake pipeline maintenance, which led to widespread blackouts.

Iranian gas supplies resumed on Sunday at a rate of 5 million cubic metres per day, the state-run Iraq News Agency reported, citing electricity ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa.

The Besmaya and Mansouriya power plants, which were affected by the gas shortage, have resumed operations, he said.

Iraq faces an energy crisis after the US in March imposed new restrictions on importing Iranian gas, Shafaq News reported. The country imports up to 50 million cubic metres of Iranian gas per day, it said.

Meanwhile, Moussa said the repair and reactivation of the Khor Mor gas field have contributed to supplying the national electricity grid with 300 megawatts of power, currently purchased from plants in the Kurdistan region.

Coordination is ongoing with the Kurdistan region’s electricity authority to reinstate the previous power purchase agreements, he said, without giving more details.