Iraq fast-tracks solar to boost renewables, cut fuel use

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Oil Ministry is ramping up efforts to integrate solar power into its energy system to reduce fuel consumption at oil facilities and boost renewable output.

Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani told Shafaq News that key oil facilities will soon be linked to solar sources, noting, “We’re working to cut fossil fuel reliance and expand clean energy.”

To finance the transition, the ministry is using a crude-for-infrastructure barter model—trading oil for solar project development without drawing on the federal budget. Abdul-Ghani highlighted the 1,000-megawatt solar project in Basra by TotalEnergies, with 250 megawatts expected to go online by late 2025.

With electricity demand rising, particularly in the south, he said that the Oil Ministry is working with the Ministry of Electricity on a national plan targeting 12 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.

Earlier, the minister confirmed that Iraq’s first solar power plant will be operational by year-end, framing emissions cuts as key to attracting investment, fostering innovation, and gaining access to global carbon markets.