TotalEnergies, a French energy company, is preparing to launch a significant project in Iraq as part of a $27 billion framework agreement signed between Iraq and France in September 2021.
The project involves the construction of a 1,000 megawatt solar power park in the Artawi oilfield located in Basra, southern Iraq.
The endorsement for the project was given by Iraq’s Electricity Minister, Ziad Fadil, during discussions with a TotalEnergies delegation in Baghdad. The initiative is viewed as the start of a promising partnership between Iraq and the French company.
This project is one of the four contracts included in the framework agreement between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and TotalEnergies.
In April 2023, TotalEnergies announced its intention to invite ACWA Power, a power generation and water desalination company, to develop a separate 1-gigawatt solar power plant aimed at supplying electricity to the Basrah regional grid.
Iraq has been actively pursuing the development of solar power stations as part of its efforts to reduce energy imports. Similar agreements have been signed with other companies, such as Masdar from Abu Dhabi and ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia.
Overall, TotalEnergies’ project in Iraq marks a significant step in expanding renewable energy infrastructure in the country and fostering partnerships with international companies.
