France’s TotalEnergies is moving forward with its plans to construct a 1,000-megawatt solar power project in Iraq, following the project’s approval by the Iraqi Electricity Ministry.
The project, located in the Artawi oilfield in Basra, received the go-ahead from Electricity Minister Ziad Fadil during discussions with a TotalEnergies delegation in Baghdad.
This solar power park marks the beginning of a promising partnership between Iraq and the French company, as stated in the ministry’s announcement.
The project is part of a larger $27 billion framework agreement between Iraq and France signed in September 2021, which includes three contracts between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and TotalEnergies, with the fourth contract specifically for the solar energy project in Basra.
Furthermore, TotalEnergies previously stated in April 2023 that it would collaborate with ACWA Power to develop a 1-gigawatt solar power plant to supply electricity to the Basrah regional grid.
Iraq aims to reduce its energy imports by constructing multiple solar power stations, as it has signed similar agreements with other companies such as Masdar based in Abu Dhabi and ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia.
