Iraq is planning to build a plant to produce solar power pumps and electrical transformers to cater for an expected rise in domestic demand, the official Iraq Alsabah newspaper reported on Monday.
The project follows the award of several solar power projects to global companies and plans to sign more such contracts, the paper said.
The General Company for Electrical and Electronic Industries, a subsidiary of the Industry Ministry, has drawn up plans for the domestic production of solar power-related equipment to ease reliance on imports.
“Switching to renewable energy in Iraq also includes production lines…we have plans to manufacture solar power pumps and electrical transformers,” the Company’s Director General Sufian Al-Jabbouri told the paper.
“These plans will be implemented gradually to include all factories affiliated with the company inside Iraq,” he added.
Officials said in 2021 that the OPEC member aims to lift solar power in its energy mix to 20% in the next few years to cope with a steady rise in consumption due to a rapid population growth and post-war reconstruction projects.
Iraq, which is the Cartel’s second largest oil producer, is suffering from severe power supply shortages due to damage caused to the energy sector during the war, making it heavily reliant on imported energy mainly from nearby Iran.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
