Alternative energy... advanced stages of the largest solar energy station in Iraq

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[size=52]Alternative energy... advanced stages of the largest solar energy station in Iraq[/size]

[size=45]Translated by / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A report by the Middle East Economy economic news website indicated that as part of the government’s effort to rely on sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative energy and reduce gas burning and exploitation, advanced steps have been made to build the largest solar energy station in Iraq and the Middle East region that feeds approximately 350,000 people. An electrically powered house in southern Iraq, indicating that the stability factor in the country encourages the completion of more energy projects whose completion has been delayed.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that the giant French energy company, Total Energies, will build a solar energy station in Iraq with a capacity of 1 gigawatt as part of several contracts awarded to the company in 2021 within an integrated project, as other contracts include developing the Ratawi oil and gas field and establishing a station to manufacture associated gas from A number of oil fields in southern Iraq and collecting them, as well as implementing a project to extend pipes for withdrawing and pumping water used in the process of extracting crude oil from oil wells.[/size]
[size=45]The solar power station will be the first project to benefit in Iraq on the scale of generating electricity from solar energy. While there are many future plans in the field of solar energy in the country, the Total Energies project is the first to make strides towards the implementation stage.[/size]
[size=45]In April, Total Energies announced on its website that it had signed contracts for the land and connection networks for the Ratawi solar power station. This covers the process of constructing a transmission line through the towers with a length of 180 km to connect it to the electricity distribution network in Basra, with the installation of a secondary distribution station.[/size]
[size=45]Total said in its statement, “The station will be one of the largest clean solar energy stations in the Middle East and North Africa region,” noting that the station will supply more than 350,000 homes with clean electrical energy, with the project expected to be completed by 2025 in four phases.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that a period of unique political stability that Iraq is currently experiencing has greatly helped in moving forward with these projects, which has allowed the government of Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani to push for the continuation of a number of energy projects whose implementation has been delayed.[/size]
[size=45]The report showed that inefficient electrical power equipment in Iraq was an obstacle to achieving economic growth and a source of social instability. The problem becomes worse when electricity equipment is unable to cover the increasing demand due to the rapid population growth rate. In order to fill this shortage of equipment, Iraqis resort to private generating stations, which are expensive and a source of pollution as well.[/size]
[size=45]According to a report by the specialized website, Oil Report, citing an official in the Ministry of Electricity, the current demand for electricity in Iraq is 15 gigawatts and exceeds the current supply of 14 gigawatts. This difference is wider during the hot summer months when the demand for electricity rises to 42 gigawatts compared to a supply capacity of 25 gigawatts, which forces Iraq to import gas and electricity from Iran. However, these equipments are often intermittent or stopped during peak electricity demand in Iran. In October 2023, Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani announced efforts to reach a goal of covering one-third of Iraq's electrical energy needs through alternative renewable energy sources by 2030. Based on current demand trends, this will require generating an estimated renewable energy capacity of 18 gigawatts. . However, Iraq has a long way to go before achieving this goal. According to the latest data issued by the International Renewable Energy Agency, Iraq has, by the end of 2023, only 1,599 megawatts of renewable energy capacity.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that Iraq's solar energy plans announced in November 2021 aim to add another 12 gigawatts of solar electricity capacity to the country by the year 2030. 7.5 gigawatts of the planned generation capacity is to come from solar power plants. To generate electricity, Iraq has reached agreements with development companies, at various stages, for projects that will add 4.5 gigawatts to the total. So far, only 2.3 gigawatts have been approved and are ready to move to the construction phase, with the rest remaining awaiting construction.[/size]
[size=45]In addition to the French company Total's solar power plant project, another two-stage solar power plant that will provide 750 megawatts of electrical energy to Muthanna Governorate will be constructed by the Chinese company, Power China. In addition to two other projects by a coalition of several companies led by a local company, which will provide energy with a total amount of 525 megawatts.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq hopes to reduce gas emissions by 15% by 2030 from its oil fields, in accordance with pledges it made at international climate change conferences, and until now, gas is still being burned in the oil fields. Iraq produces about 3 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, and half of the gas is burned in the atmosphere, which leads to a shortage in gas supplies and produces pollutants equivalent to 36 million tons annually of carbon dioxide.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that what stands in the way of further progress in developing the solar energy stations sector in Iraq is the absence of clear legislation in this field, access to financing for alternative energy, and the dilapidation and age of transportation networks that make integrating intermittent renewable energy difficult without sufficient investment and financing, stressing Developing alternative sources of energy in the country will reduce its dependence on imports while creating a sustainable, green economy that is environmentally friendly and contributes to improving the living conditions of society.[/size]
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