MP Saad Awad revealed that the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity has given the green light to establish the largest renewable energy station in southern Iraq. In an interview with "Baghdad Today," Awad stated that "Iraq's environment is conducive to being an effective player in renewable energy investment, especially solar panels, which provide a good amount of electricity, particularly during crisis seasons when most Iraqi cities suffer from a severe shortage of energy supply."
He added that "the Ministry of Electricity has approved the commencement of the Al-Khadr Solar Station with a capacity of 50 megawatts, which will then be raised to 100 megawatts, making it the first station of its kind in terms of its generation capacity and adopting the highest specifications of devices and equipment."
Awad noted that "the shift to renewable energy will address many issues in Iraq's electricity sector, especially in summer, given the presence of all success factors, but it requires greater government support to advance in a vital sector that is less polluting to the environment and has limited maintenance costs compared to conventional energy."
Last April, the Ministry of Electricity signed two contracts with Total to produce 1,000 megawatts of solar energy in Basra Governorate, as part of four contracts relating to oil and accompanying gas and seawater desalination.
