Energy China to build a one-gigawatt photovoltaic solar power plant in Iraq

A historic one-gigawatt solar project in Iraq is set to begin soon by state-owned China Energy Engineering Corporation (Energy China) based in Beijing.

Energy China said that the construction is anticipated to begin shortly and the project is situated in Artawi, in the Basra governorate of southern Iraq, PV Tech reported.

The project was revived last year following years of political setbacks. It was originally developed by the renewable energy branch of France-based TotalEnergies and is a significant component of their $27 billion energy deal with the Iraqi government.

Last July, TotalEnergies signed a $27 billion energy deal with the Iraqi government to increase Iraq’s capacity to produce energy through oil, gas, and renewable energy projects.

The projects include the development of a 1-gigawatt solar power plant to provide electricity to southern Iraq, the use of seawater to support oil extraction operations, the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) to recover flared gas in various oilfields, and the expansion of the Artawi oilfield to increase its production capacity.

The deal was signed in 2021 to build four oil, gas, and renewable energy projects with an initial investment of $10 billion in southern Iraq over 25 years, but several setbacks amid disputes between Iraqi politicians over the terms hindered the deal.

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne signed the agreement with the Iraqi Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul-Ghani, at a ceremony held in Baghdad, where Pouyanne described the event as a ‘historic day.’

The Director General for Studies and Planning at the Iraqi Oil Ministry, Naseer Aziz Jabbar, explained that energy projects carried out by TotalEnergies in Iraq will be completed in 2028 and 2029.