Iraq has recently officially inaugurated the country’s first industrial-scale solar power plant in Karbala Province, southwest of Baghdad. This project marks a significant step by the Iraqi government to expand renewable energy production, against the backdrop of the country’s rich oil and gas resources yet long-standing struggle with power crises.
On site, Safa Hussein, Executive Director of the new Karbala Solar Power Plant, stood before rows of black photovoltaic panels and stated, “This is the first project of its kind with such capacity in Iraq.”
Hussein pointed out that the plant will “supply electricity to the national grid, reduce fuel consumption—especially during peak daytime hours—and mitigate the negative environmental impact of emissions.” Nasser Karim Al-Sultani, Head of the National Solar Projects Team at the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office, revealed that the Karbala Solar Power Plant will ultimately achieve a peak generation capacity of 300 megawatts. Additionally, a 225-megawatt solar project is under construction in Babylon Province, and a large-scale 1,000-megawatt project is set to launch soon in Basra Province in the south.
