Iraq’s solar plant in Karbala to address electricity crisis

Core Insights - Iraq is inaugurating its first industrial-scale solar plant in Karbala province to address the ongoing electricity crisis, which has led to widespread blackouts [1] - The solar plant will cover approximately 400 hectares and is expected to generate up to 300MW of electricity at full capacity [1] - Additional solar projects are in progress, including a 225MW project in Babil province and a 1,000MW project in Basra [2] Group 1: Current Electricity Situation - Iraq's electricity consumption reached about 55,000MW earlier this year, while current production is up to 28,000MW, including 8,000MW from natural gas imported from Iran [4] - The US has ended a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to purchase electricity directly from Iran, complicating the energy supply situation [5] Group 2: Strategic Initiatives - The solar projects are part of a broader strategy to meet Iraq's electricity demands through large-scale solar power, aiming to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources and mitigate environmental impacts [3] - The combined capacity of solar schemes under construction, approval, or negotiation in Iraq is 12,500MW, which could supply around 20% of the country's total electricity demand, excluding Kurdistan [3]