Iran’s 500-megawatt power plant to provide free electricity to Shiite shrines in Iraq

Tehran, Iran (4E) – In order to provide free electricity to Iraq’s holy Shiite Muslim shrines in Karbala and Najaf, Iran on Sunday announced to construct a 500-megawatt power plant in Iraq.

“The credit allocated for the construction of Heidariya power plant amounts to EUR 75 million and its first phase with the credit of EUR 25 million will come into operation soon,” semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ebrahim Rahemi, an Iranian energy official, as saying.

The official said that the holy shrines will remain the main consumer of the electricity generated by the power plant, adding that they will sold the surplus to the government of Iraq. Despite American sanctions, Iran is exporting various forms of electricity to Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Pakistan.

In September, Iranian Energy Ministry claimed that the Islamic nation had exported a total of 5,290 gigawatts per hour of electricity in first half of Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20.

---

---