ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq said Friday that it has begun installing solar power systems on 5,000 government buildings, with the first phase covering 543 structures, including 290 schools and 24 health centers.
"This initiative includes solar energy systems and solar water heaters to reduce energy consumption. Future plans incorporate smart technologies, such as smart meters, to better manage energy loads,” Naseer Karim Qasim, head of the National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects, told state media on Friday.
Qasim added the project will address "Iraq's energy challenges and aims to balance supply and demand through sustainable and efficient energy solutions.”
The initiative comes a day after Iraq’s electricity ministry announced the launch of the country's largest solar project yet in the southern province of Basra.
The project, named “Shams al-Basra,” consists of four generating units, made up of two million panels, extending across an estimated area of 9,000 dunams, according to a statement from the Ministry of Electricity.
Iraqi Electricity Minister Ziad Ali Fadhil revealed last month that the country is planning to work with international companies to produce 35,000 megawatts of power, a project that could potentially catapult Iraq out of energy shortage issues that have plagued the country’s power grid for decades.
Iraq has intensified its efforts to move toward a more sustainable and viable energy solution to cut down on the need to import gas and electricity from Tehran, which accounts for between 30 to 40 percent of its energy needs. These imports are especially crucial during the summer months, when temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius and energy demand peaks.
Previous US administrations have repeatedly renewed a waiver permitting Iraq to purchase Iranian electricity, as the country continues to struggle with providing power to its people.
A National Security Presidential Memorandum by US President Donald Trump to impose further sanctions on Iran in early February said that the Secretary of State shall “modify or rescind sanctions waivers, particularly those that provide Iran any degree of economic or financial relief.”
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