Iraq Turns to Clean Energy Projects: Converting Wind Power to Electricity

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[size=52]Iraq Turns to Clean Energy Projects: Converting Wind Power to Electricity[/size]

[size=45]The Ministry of Electricity's plans to address the chronic energy crisis for more than 20 years include moving towards clean energy projects, including converting wind energy into electricity.
The ministry's official spokesman, Ahmed Moussa, said that the ministry has prepared a set of strategic plans to diversify energy sources and reduce reliance on gas and fossil fuels in generating electricity.
Moussa explained that his ministry is working to establish clean energy projects that include solar and thermal power plants, in addition to combined cycle power plants that operate on wind energy.
He stated that there are ongoing efforts aimed at exploiting wind energy and completing electricity projects that have been stalled for years, and that the plan will secure new generating capacities for Baghdad and the governorates, which will contribute to improving the reality of the electricity system.
He added that the Ministries of Environment and Science and Technology have set parameters for working on the wind energy project, and the ministry was keen to study the technical specifications of wind speed and determine the appropriate location, revealing that the location chosen according to the technical specifications is located in the Al-Shahabi area of ​​Wasit Governorate (east).
He explained that his ministry seeks to address the electricity crisis through renewable energy projects, including waste-to-energy power plants in Abu Ghraib and Nahrawan, and signing contracts to develop solar energy projects with international companies such as the UAE’s Masdar and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power.
Regarding the start of work on the project and its total cost, Musa confirmed that the procedures have not yet begun, and there are understandings and plans that will be worked on after completing consultations with several companies, including Emea Energy, to study the possibility of installing specific engines that convert wind energy into electrical energy.
Legislating a Renewable Energy Law
In this context, the Iraqi parliament is preparing to legislate a law on renewable energy during the current legislative session, according to the deputy head of the parliamentary Electricity and Energy Committee, Hassan Al-Asadi.
Al-Asadi explained that this law is considered one of the important laws in Iraq, and will have a positive impact that includes benefiting from solar energy and other renewable energies to generate electrical energy.
With Iraq preparing to officially launch its first wind energy project, a source in the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity said that the ministry is preparing to sign several investment contracts to establish a wind and solar power plant project in the near future within the administrative borders of Wasit Governorate (central Iraq).
The source explained that the company nominated to complete this project is the Emirati company “EMEA Power”, which intends to work on large investments in Iraq, including the wind energy project in Wasit.
He explained that this project is the first of its kind in Iraq. In light of the technical transformation taking place, the Ministry of Electricity intends, through the support and guidance of the Iraqi government in this regard, to achieve the highest production rate of clean electrical energy.
He added that the EMEA Power project supports the Ministry of Electricity’s plans to adopt renewable energy sources and increase their contribution to the electricity mix, especially with the recurring crises witnessed by the Iraqi electricity sector, which relies heavily on gas.
He explained that there were previous meetings held between officials in the Ministry of Electricity and representatives of AMEA Power Company, with the aim of working on establishing the first wind energy project in Iraq, and that the Iraqi government is very interested in wind energy projects to support the electricity sector and reduce the problem of electricity shortage.[/size]
[size=45]The need for energy
From his side, electrical engineer Ahmed Saleh Al-Hadith said that the deficit in electricity supplies in Iraq amounts to about 19 thousand megawatts/hour per day; while the total actual need is about 50 thousand megawatts.
Al-Hadith stated that there is no real investment in wind energy in Iraq, which is considered one of the countries most in need of this energy due to the increasing and urgent need for electricity since 1991. He
added that wind energy investment is entirely linked to its speed, which should not be less than an average of eight miles per hour and not exceed a certain limit whose value is determined according to the type of device used in the conversion process and the height and place where it will be installed.
Gas flaring crisis in Iraq.. The solution is in the Gulf
Al-Hadith explained that wind energy stems from the difference in the degrees of the sun heating the atmosphere and the unevenness of the earth's surface, and the power that can be obtained from a wind energy system is proportional to the cube of the wind speed, and the wind energy resource is variable in terms of time and place.
He pointed out that wind energy depends on two basic factors: the temperature of the sun's rays and the speed of the wind, and both factors are available in large areas of Iraq, and investing in renewable energy can achieve great successes that meet Iraq's total need and export the surplus.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq is lagging behind in wind energy
In addition, economic researcher Ahmed Sabah said that Iraq needs to activate clean energy projects by producing electricity through renewable energy and investing in wind to reduce dependence on fossil fuels to secure supplies.
Sabah added that Iraq is one of the lagging countries in this field despite the availability of all the appropriate tools and conditions for this matter.
He stated that investing in wind energy can produce around 15-20% of its actual electricity needs in order to cover local consumption, which saves it around one billion dollars annually that can be invested in establishing renewable energy generation stations and turbines on a large scale.
Sabah pointed out that the relationship between energy consumption and environmental pollution has become clear as a result of the exacerbation of the widespread negative results that are difficult to control, so it is necessary to shift from gas and fossil fuel consumption to alternative or renewable energy sources, including wind energy, which has taken up a large space in many developed countries.[/size]
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