BAGHDAD - Iraq will complete a link to Kuwait's power grid by the end of 2024 and begin receiving 500 megawatts of electricity, a government minister was quoted as saying by state media, amid a push in the country to diversify power sources that are heavily reliant on Iran.

Electricity Minister Ziad Ali Fadel said that the link with Kuwait was currently 45% complete.

He said Iraq had completed a link between its power grid and Jordan, and Baghdad only needed to approve financing in order for an initial 50 MW of power to begin being transferred.

Iraq currently imports between a third and 40% of its supply of electricity and gas from Iran, but continues to suffer from widespread power cuts, especially in sweltering summer months when temperatures can top 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and power consumption peaks.

Iran frequently cuts its supply when it requires more electricity at home and also because Iraq has trouble paying for the imports due to U.S. sanctions on Iran.

The United States has pushed Iraq, OPEC's second-largest oil producer, to cut its reliance on Iranian gas.

As part of that push, Iraq last year reached agreement with French oil major TotalEnergies on a long-delayed $27 billion deal that aims among other things to capture and then produce power with gas currently flared as a by-product of the oil production process.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)