In late September, Iraq opened up its first-ever large-scale solar farm. The project is just one of many designed to help address electricity shortages in the country.
As reported by Tech Xplore, officials in Iraq have completed a solar plant that will be capable of producing up to 300 megawatts of electricity at its peak. Located in the desert in the Karbala province, the solar plant represents the start of a new era of energy production in the country.
"This is the first project of its type in Iraq that has this capacity," said Safaa Hussein, executive director of the solar facility. Outside of setting a new precedent, Hussein also noted that the plant will "supply the national network with electricity, and reduce the fuel consumption especially during the daytime peak load, in addition to reducing the negative environmental impact of gas emissions."
According to Nasser Karim al-Sudani, head of solar energy projects at the Prime Minister's Office, the country has a number of other solar projects in the pipeline that will quickly follow the solar plant in Karbala. This includes a plant currently under construction in the Babil province capable of producing 225 megawatts of electricity. In the Basra province, crews will soon begin work on another solar facility that will boast an energy capacity of 1,000 megawatts.
With a key goal of establishing energy independence and diversification away from dirty fuels, Iraq is inching closer to achieving sustainable energy development. Iraq deputy minister of electricity Adel Karim revealed that the country's current solar projects could eventually produce up to 12,500 megawatts once all is said and done. This would supply 15-20% of Iraq's total electricity demand.
"All the companies we have contracted with, or are still negotiating with, will sell us electricity at very attractive prices, and we will in turn sell it to consumers," Karim said.
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