Iraq plans to produce 12,000 megawatts from solar energy by 2030
A field of solar panels. Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Adviser at Iraq’s National Investment Commission (NIC), Rahim Al-Jaafari, revealed on Tuesday that Iraq plans to produce approximately 12,000 megawatts of solar energy by the end of 2030.
Al-Jaafari told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that significant progress has been made in terms of generating electricity from solar energy, as the Iraqi cabinet has already authorized a 12,000-megawatt plan, of which around 7,500 megawatts have been assigned to companies.
The NIC is now finishing up the steps necessary to issue investment permits and then getting to work, according to Al-Jaafari.
The Iraqi official indicated that Iraq has committed to upholding the terms of the Paris Agreement, which include meeting several requirements, such as switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
Regarding waste-to-energy initiatives, Al-Jaafari stated that a pilot project to generate power from waste will take place in the next few days. This trial is part of a project that will be carried out in the Nahrawan district, east of Baghdad, and will entail about 3,000 tons of garbage.
Al-Jaafari added that a study on potential investments in wind energy has also been done.