Iraqi govt clears way for Masdar's 1-GW solar plan

Renewables developer Masdar will be able to advance the deployment of 1 GW of solar capacity in Iraq after the local government removed the obstacles to the development of the initiative.

The announcement was made by Iraq's electricity minister Ziad Ali Fadhil at a meeting with a delegation from the UAE-based company on Monday.

Under an agreement from June 2022, Masdar is planning to build solar power parks with an initial capacity of 1,000 MW in several provinces across Iraq. Two solar parks each of 100 MW should be set up in the governorates of Maysan and Nineveh, another 450-MW solar farm is planned to be built in Dhi Qar and a fourth solar plant with a capacity of 350 MW should be established in Al-Anbar.

The electricity ministry, the Energy Council and the Council of Ministers have utilised their jurisdictional power to overcome obstacles and expedite these projects through strategic decisions, Ziad Ali Fadhil said in a statement released by the ministry.

The minister of electricity stated that the solar parks planned by Masdar reflect the government's commitment to diversify energy sources and expand renewable energy while reducing reliance on gas and fossil fuels.

Masdar is one of several developers planning large-scale solar projects in Iraq. Earlier this year, TotalEnergies SE received the green light from the Iraqi government to begin work on a project for the construction of a 1-GW solar park in the south of the country. Chinese state-owned conglomerate Power Construction Corp of China (Power China) was also granted government approval for a 750-MW solar project in Al Muthanna Governorate.

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