PHOTO
Solar power plants under construction across nine Iraqi provinces are expected to raise the OPEC member’s output to between 3.5 gigawatts (GW) and 7 GW in the current phase as part of the government’s plan achieve term 12 GW of renewable energy capacity, a report by the state-owned Iraqi News Agency (INA) said
The INA report, quoting Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Mousa, said solar power projects are underway in Basra, Babil, Karbala, Kirkuk, Baghdad, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Nineveh and Najaf.
It said the Karbala solar plant is already producing 54 megawatts (MW) in its first phase and will scale up to 300 MW.
Construction continues at the Alexandria project in Babil with a capacity of 225 MW. In Basra, France’s TotalEnergies is making rapid progress on the 1,000 MW Shams Al-Basra project. Mousa said 250 MW is expected to be connected to the national grid early next year, with remaining phases completed six months later.
In Dhi Qar, two projects with a combined 800 MW capacity (500 + 300 MW) are advancing toward phased commissioning.
Mousa said the government is in advanced talks with major international developers — including Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and the UAE’s Masdar — for projects in Najaf with capacities reaching 1,000 MW, along with four additional projects totalling another 1,000 MW.
He said the ministry has asked provincial authorities to allocate additional land for future solar stations and is expanding loan programmes for residential rooftop systems, adding that government buildings will also transition to solar power.
(Writing by Majda Mushen; Editing by Anoop Menon)
Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
