Iraq opens first industrial-scale solar plant to tackle electricity crisis

Iraq opened its first industrial-scale solar power plant Sunday in Karbala province, a landmark project intended to ease the country’s persistent electricity shortages by adding up to 300 megawatts at peak output.

Safaa Hussein, executive director of the Karbala facility, described it as the first project of its type in Iraq with this capacity, as rows of black solar panels stretched across the desert. From above, the facility resembles a dark grid city. The plant is designed to feed the national power network and help reduce daytime fuel consumption while lowering the environmental impact of gas-fired generation.

Nasser Karim al-Sudani, head of the national team for solar energy projects in the Prime Minister’s Office, said the Karbala plant will eventually reach about 300 MW at peak. He noted that another project under construction in Babil province will have a capacity of 225 MW, and a 1,000 MW project is set to begin in Basra in the south.

The Iraqi government has laid out an ambitious plan to deploy large-scale solar power to ease chronic shortages that have plagued the country for years. Deputy Minister of Electricity Adel Karim said Iraq has solar projects with a combined capacity of 12,500 MW either being implemented, in the approval process, or under negotiation. If fully realized, the projects could supply roughly 15% to 20% of Iraq’s total electricity demand, excluding the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. He added that the prices from contracted companies are attractive and will be passed on to consumers, though he declined to disclose purchase rates.

Despite the solar push, Iraq remains heavily dependent on conventional generation and imports. Officials say the country produces about 27,000 to 28,000 MW of electricity, while consumption runs between 50,000 and 55,000 MW. Power plants fueled by Iranian gas account for about 8,000 MW of the current supply. Iraq’s reliance on Iranian gas and imports from Iran has drawn scrutiny amid U.S. sanctions, with Washington this year ending a sanctions waiver for direct electric purchases from Iran but keeping the gas waiver in place.

Abdul-Zahra reported from Baghdad.