For months Chancellor Scholz and Economics Minister Habeck have been looking around the world for a replacement for the lack of Russian gas imports. Scholz now also sees certain opportunities in crisis-ridden Iraq.
In his search for a replacement for Russian gas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is now also campaigning for an energy partnership with Iraq. “Iraq would be a very welcome cooperation partner for us when it comes to importing gas and oil to Germany,” said Scholz after a meeting with Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mohammed Schia al-Sudani in Berlin. Gas imports could also be forwarded to other European countries via Germany.
Scholz emphasized that Germany does not want to become dependent on individual gas suppliers again, as it used to be dependent on Russia. At times, far more than half of German gas imports came from there before the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Now Germany no longer gets any gas from Russia.
Al-Sudani stressed Iraq’s intention to further boost gas exports. “We have ambitious plans for the use of gas that accompanies oil production and is burned in the process,” said the prime minister. “We have shown these possibilities and invited German companies to invest in this sector.” Hardly any other country in the world is as dependent on oil revenues as Iraq. According to the International Energy Agency, the country is the fifth largest oil producer. Iraq also exports gas via an LNG terminal opened in 2022 by the Basra Gas Company.
“Good experiences with Siemens” – other companies desired
On the fringes of the visit, Siemens Energy also signed a memorandum of understanding with Iraq’s Electricity Minister Siad Ali Fadhil to expand the infrastructure of the country’s notoriously poor power supply. “We have had good experiences with Siemens. We have expressed the wish to see other (German) companies in the areas of health, education and agriculture,” said Al-Sudani.
Specifically, Siemens Energy is to set up and expand power plants operated with fossil and renewable energy sources with a dimension of around six gigawatts. The projects aim to reduce power outages and cut CO2 emissions. Iraq suffers from a notoriously poor power supply with frequent outages. In addition to the poor economic situation and corruption, these are one of the reasons for the mass protests that have shaken Iraq in several waves since 2019.
Al-Sudani has to deliver at home
Al-Sudani made his inaugural visit to Berlin after forming his government in October after months of power struggles. The new head of government is under pressure to lead his country out of a serious political and economic crisis after years of war against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS).
The long political crisis in Iraq escalated violently a few months ago. Militias fought heavy battles with volleys of fire in the so-called Green Zone in Baghdad. Several people were killed and hundreds injured. Supporters of the influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had previously stormed and occupied the government palace with the prime minister’s office and the parliament building. After a parliamentary election, a year passed before the current government was formed.
A few years ago, the IS controlled large areas in Iraq and Syria and proclaimed a so-called caliphate there. The terrorists there have now been defeated militarily, but they are still active and carrying out attacks.
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
