Iraq suffers power grid blackout due to technical fault

CAIRO, March 4 (Reuters) - Iraq's electricity ministry said on Wednesday that all provinces were experiencing a power blackout, which the government attributed to a technical fault.

Many Iraqis for years have relied on privately operated generators for power as government-provided electricity was only intermittently available. Some others have turned to solar power to help cover their electricity needs.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Electricity said the power system shutdown was a technical incident caused by a sudden drop in gas supplies to the Rumaila gas-fired power plant in Basra province.

The drop led to a rapid loss of 1,900 megawatts, the spokesperson said, adding that work was under way to restore power gradually.

A senior source familiar with power operations, who requested anonymity, said electricity supply would return to normal within hours.

In August 2025, a sudden shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant in the western province of Anbar led to a fault in the electricity transmission network.

A member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and one of the world's leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

In the ensuing turmoil, under-investment and mismanagement have left the national grid unable to cope with demand.