BASRAH ELECTRICITY UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000088 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/29/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG ETRD IZ SUBJECT: BASRAH ELECTRICITY UPDATE CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, DEPUTY REGIONAL COORDINATOR, REO BASRAH, DEPARTMENT OF STATE. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d),(e) ¶1. (C) In a May 27 meeting, Dr. Wathib Al Amood, Basrah Provincial Council (BPC) member and member of the Reconstruction Committee, told Poloff that electricity availability in Basrah had declined from "three on, three off," to "two on, four off" since the beginning of May. With temperatures in the city soaring to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and remaining in the high 80's at night, non-violent demonstrations about electricity shortages have been occurring in the city. The most recent demonstration occurred on the night of May 27, when a crowd burned tires in the streets of downtown Basrah protesting the lack of electricity from about 2300 until power returned at 0030. ¶2. (C) Dr. Wathib said that the main problem with the electricity in Basrah was not so much the fewer hours but the fluctuation in power. These fluctuations were damaging machinery and equipment. As he spoke, the lights in his office flickered and his ceiling fan alternately sped up and slowed down, emphasizing his point. Halfway through the meeting, the power went out altogether. ¶3. (C) Dr. Wathib stated that Basrah generated 570 megawatts (MW) of power but needed 800 to meet all its needs. Of the 570 MW produced, he said that 170 MW were allocated to the South Oil Company and another 150 to other factories and industries. (Note: Al Hartha power station produced 125 MW of power, Khor Az Zubair power station produced 215 MW, and Najabia power stations produced 70 MW according to a May 15 BPC report. Other power stations in Dhi Qar and Maysan produce an additional 435 MW and 13 MW respectively.) ¶4. (C) The BPC was working to address the electricity problem in Basrah, Dr. Wathib said, by negotiating with Iran for an additional 350 MW of power as part of an Iraq-wide arrangement for a total of 1500 MW of power. He said that this arrangement was schedule to come into affect by July. However, he was doubtful that Basrah would see any increase until much later because the capacity did not yet exist to deliver the power from the Iranian border to end-users in Basrah. ¶5. (SBU) USG-funded projects to improve the distribution and transmission system in Basrah are numerous. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is constructing 17 substations in Basrah for completion within the next year, for example, and the British Department for International Development (DFID) is managing several projects to improve capacity at the Khor Al Zubair and Al Hartha power stations. ¶6. (C) Comment: It is no coincidence that the reduction in hours of power in Basrah corresponds to the rising temperature. As Basrah's residents power up their newly acquired air conditioners, refrigerators, and ceiling fans to cool down, Basrah's antiquated transformers can't take the heat and break down. Repairing transformers that break down on a daily basis has become one of the BPC's priorities. As these transformers are fixed or replaced, the reliability of electricity should improve. The important thing is the BPC has identified the delivery of power to its constituents as a priority and is working to address the issue. End comment. MARRANO