Iraq’s Electricity Ministry and its adviser, Parsons Brinckerhoff, has devised a transmission masterplan to develop a 400kV network and link all regions of Iraqi Kurdistan together and to the main electricity system of Iraq.

Speaking at MEED’s Iraq Power & Gas Projects 2011 conference in Istanbul, Parsons Brinckerhoff country manager for Iraq Jeff Larkin said that Kurdistan’s 132kV transmission system is set to be reinforced by some 400kV transmission lines by 2015.

“The unsuppressed demand [in Kurdistan which totals] 2,128MW, makes the 400kV interconnection attractive,” said Larkin.

Currently, there are two separate networks in Kurdistan. The Sulaimaniyeh governorate is not connected to the Dohuk/Irbil network. The study issued by Parsons Brinckerhoff recommends a linking up of the two networks.

Substations of 400/132kV capacity are proposed at Dohuk, Sulaimaniyeh, Irbil and Bekhma (where a huge hydropower plant is planned) to facilitate the connected transmission system.

Kurdistan’s power network will also be connected to the Iraqi grid. A 400kV transmission line is under construction from Mosul to Kirkuk and it is envisaged that the 400kV transmission network will be introduced in Kurdistan in 2015.