New Solar Plant in Iraq Aims to End Years of Blackouts and Power Shortages

Iraq will inaugurate its first industrial-scale solar power plant in the Karbala desert, southwest of Baghdad, marking a significant step toward addressing the nation’s persistent electricity shortages. This ambitious project, set against a sprawling landscape of sand, is part of a broader governmental push to harness renewable energy in a country historically reliant on its abundant oil and gas reserves.

Safaa Hussein, the executive director of the Karbala solar plant, described the facility as a pioneering effort, stating, “This is the first project of its type in Iraq with this capacity.” The plant, visually striking with rows of black panels resembling a city from above, is designed to supply the national grid with electricity, reduce daytime peak load fuel consumption, and mitigate the environmental impact of gas emissions.

The Karbala plant is projected to generate up to 300 megawatts at peak capacity, according to Nasser Karim al-Sudani, head of the national team for solar energy projects in the Prime Minister’s Office. Additional projects are underway, including a 225-megawatt facility in Babil province and a planned 1,000-megawatt project in Basra. These initiatives are part of a larger strategy to develop solar projects with a combined capacity of 12,500 megawatts, which, if fully realized, could meet 15 to 20 percent of Iraq’s electricity demand, excluding the Kurdish region, as stated by Deputy Minister of Electricity Adel Karim.

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Iraq’s electricity sector has long been plagued by shortages, driven by decades of conflict, corruption, and mismanagement. Despite producing 27,000 to 28,000 megawatts, the country’s consumption ranges from 50,000 to 55,000 megawatts, with approximately 8,000 megawatts supplied by Iranian gas-powered plants. This reliance on imported gas and electricity from Iran has been complicated by U.S. sanctions, with Washington recently ending a waiver for direct electricity purchases from Iran while maintaining the gas import waiver.

The new solar initiatives aim to reduce Iraq’s dependence on foreign energy and address power outages, particularly during the scorching summer months when temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F), forcing many residents to rely on diesel generators or endure without air conditioning. Deputy Minister Karim noted that contracts with solar energy companies will allow Iraq to purchase electricity at competitive rates, though specific pricing details were not disclosed.

As Iraq embarks on this renewable energy journey, the Karbala solar plant stands as a beacon of hope for a nation seeking to balance its energy wealth with sustainable solutions to its enduring power crisis.

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