On June 9, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity announced that it was in talks with ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia and Masdar of the United Arab Emirates in the near future, and the three parties will build solar power plants in Iraq, and plan to finalize a total of 2GW of projects.
According to information disclosed by the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, the cooperation with ACWA Power is mainly focused on the 1GW Najaf solar power plant in Najaf governorate, while the cooperation with Masdar involves the development of four solar power plants with a total installed capacity of 1GW.
The cooperation project with the two Middle Eastern giants will cover the central and southern regions of Iraq, making great use of the abundant local sunlight resources to build a diversified energy supply system. As a traditional oil and gas powerhouse, Iraq has become increasingly prominent in recent years due to its dependence on energy imports and aging infrastructure. The partnership with the Middle East energy giant will not only help them achieve the renewable energy share target in their Energy Strategy 2030, but also reduce their dependence on imported fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions through solar development.
In fact, Iraq is indeed strengthening its renewable energy deployment. With the Iraqi government at the heart of its 2030 National Energy Plan, which aims to increase the share of renewables to 20% (currently around 5%), Iraq's photovoltaic energy market is on the rise and showing great potential.
The Iraqi government has set a clear target for 12GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, when renewables will account for 33% of the electricity mix. In order to achieve this goal, Iraq not only focuses on the development of centralized ground power stations, but also encourages the development of industrial and commercial photovoltaics and household photovoltaics to alleviate the power supply problems caused by weak power grids and improve the lives of residents in areas without electricity.
In addition to the Middle East and the United States, energy companies such as China and France have also cooperated in Iraq. In August 2024, China Energy Construction International Group and France's TotalEnergies signed an EPC contract for a 1GW PV project in Latawi, Iraq, in Dubai.(This article is from the official website of Seetao www.seetao.com. Reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited. Please indicate Seetao.com + original link when reprinting) Seetao.com Strategy Column Editor/Sun Fengjuan
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