Shafaq News / The Chair of the Ministerial Council for Energy, Minister of Oil Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar, signed on Thursday a contract for a clean energy project with the Emirati "Masdar" company. 

The contract stipulates establishing solar plants in central and southern Iraq with a capacity of 2000 MW. 

In a statement issued earlier today, Thursday, Abdul-Jabber said, "Iraq is implementing a plan to replace fossil energy with Solar energy at a rate of 20-25% of the energy produced, equivalent to 10-12 GW."

"Concluding a contract with the Emirati Masdar Company, a major international company, is an important step toward developing the clean energy investment sector and exploiting solar energy in Iraq."

 For his part, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al-Mazrouei, praised the "distinguished relations between the two brotherly countries."

 Al-Mazrouei asserted his government's support for bilateral cooperation projects in the clean energy sector, "Masdar Company will harness all its technical and engineering capabilities to implement these projects." 

 In turn, the head of the National Investment Commission, Suha Al-Najjar, stressed, according to a statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, "the importance of the contract for clean energy generation with the UAE company Masdar, which achieves the government's goals in obtaining clean energy at a lower cost, as well as adopting clean environment, health, and safety standards."

 Al-Najjar revealed "the government's plans to sign more contracts that contribute to the enhancement of generating capacity, and to cover the local need."

 According to the statement, the signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Electricity, Majid Mahdi.