Iraq is planning to develop seven PV plants with a combined capacity of 700MW and reach 10GW of installed solar by 2030, the country’s oil ministry said in a statement.
The largest of the proposed installations will have a capacity of 300MW and be located in Kerbala province, while the others will be deployed across the country.
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The statement said the ministry is in consultations with international firms including Total as well as “Norwegian companies” to discuss the construction of the projects.
It was also announced the country is aiming for 20% of its power generation by 2030 to be from solar, in a move to reduce pressure on its hydrocarbon-powered electricity plants.
According to the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), an organisation that advocates for clean energy in Arab countries, Iraq is aiming to have 2.24GW of electricity generation from renewables by 2025.
RCREEE announced in 2019 a collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme to support Iraq’s renewable energy efforts and remove barriers to direct private sector engagement in the country’s solar sector.
According to RCREEE, solar PV “is considered the most suitable solution to guarantee grid security and stability and to overcome energy challenges in Iraq”.
