The Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, met in Riyadh (Tuesday) with the Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Eng. Ziyad Ali Fadel. During the meeting, they discussed developments in the electrical interconnection project between the two countries, which comes as an affirmation of continuous cooperation between them, in a way that achieves the aspirations of the leaderships of the two countries and their peoples. This project will contribute to supporting the reliability of the electrical networks in the two countries, achieving economic savings, in addition to enhancing the achievement of an optimal energy mix of energy for electricity production, supporting the absorption of electrical networks for the entry of renewable energy, and achieving optimal investments in electricity generation projects. The meeting also discussed opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the field of renewable energy, benefiting from the capabilities and expertise of ACWA Power in this vital field, and its contributions to the development of future projects in Iraq. The meeting discussed the Kingdom's pioneering experience in the field of smart meters, how to transfer it to the Iraqi side, and the opportunities for Saudi companies – along with Iraqi companies – contractors and manufacturers to participate in developing the infrastructure of smart meters. The Iraqi side was briefed on the financial and regulatory reforms witnessed by the electricity sector in the Kingdom during the past three years, and the possibility of exchanging experiences between the two countries in this field.
Okaz (Riyadh)
