Economy News – Baghdad In 2021, the Iraqi government launched the Solar Energy and Emissions Reduction Initiative, and in 2022 confirmed its support, but it does not appear to be effective or fully completed to date.
The initiative stipulates the installation of solar energy systems on the roofs of state institutions, and the amount allocated for it is 90 billion Iraqi dinars for five years to support the national grid.
The Iraqi government sought to solve the electricity problem by contracting with major countries and companies in the field of renewable energy, including signing agreements with Arab and foreign companies to establish solar power projects in Iraq, but its efforts faltered, which keeps the wealth of solar energy under-exploited.
Energy expert Murtadha Hatem says, “Launching an initiative to support energy and reduce emissions through solar energy in Iraq is an important step towards achieving sustainable development and preserving the environment.”
He added, "Relying on solar energy contributes to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, which ensures greater sustainability of energy sources, and reduces price fluctuations associated with oil prices."
He explains that "solar energy is a clean source of energy that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, which is important in confronting climate change," indicating that "reducing dependence on energy imports from abroad and increasing local production enhances the country's energy security."
He added, "Developing solar energy projects can provide many job opportunities in the fields of design, installation, and maintenance, in addition to stimulating innovation and investment in clean technology."
Hatem confirms that “Iraq has abundant solar resources that can be exploited to provide sustainable and cheap energy, which contributes to improving the energy infrastructure.”
He explained that “launching solar energy initiatives reflects the government’s commitment to shifting towards a green and sustainable economy, which enhances Iraq’s position in the international community as an environmentally responsible country.”
Journalist and renewable energy expert Ali Naji says, “All the systems that were built in all their forms on the roofs of state institutions before this initiative were not successful and almost failed, including those installed on departments related to renewable energy.”
He added, "There are instructions from the Civil Defense that specify the hours of use of renewable energy during official working hours only, which means there are losses in operating solar systems from the moment of sunrise until the moment of the start of official working hours and connecting the system to the national grid," explaining, "Generation losses from the end of working hours until sunset, due to the national grid being cut off after the end of working hours, in addition to holidays and occasions when it is out of service."
He added, "Installing these systems on the roofs of buildings will hinder the process of roof maintenance in the event of damage," stressing that "these departments do not have sufficient personnel to manage and maintain these solar systems, and even if they are trained, partial training is not sufficient and does not cover the requirements of these systems."
Regarding the obstacles that hinder the success of the initiative, Ali Naji explains that “these systems should be placed on the outskirts of cities in the form of farms (solar energy farms) divided into five regions, for example, between the northern, central and southern regions, as is the case in Egypt, the Emirates and others,” noting that “the number of employees to maintain them will be less and easier to control, in addition to these farms being planted with trees, which will increase afforestation operations.”
He added, "The systems are connected in two ways: to the national grid, and also to charge batteries to support areas in the event of a lack of electricity or a lack of electricity supply."
Iraq, whose infrastructure is in shambles after decades of conflict and chronic corruption in public administrations, needs more than 32,000 megawatts to cover its needs, but the country's power plants produce only about 24,000 megawatts.
On March 12 of last year 2023, Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani announced that preparations were underway to launch the first solar energy project in Iraq, with a capacity of about 1,000 megawatts, which coincided with the state’s efforts to enhance its investments in the renewable energy and natural gas sector.
Despite this need, renewable energy remains underutilized, with Iraq enjoying just over 3,000 hours of sunshine out of 8,700 hours per year. Meanwhile, more than 98 percent of Iraq’s electricity is generated by fossil fuels, according to a World Bank report.
To encourage residents to install solar energy systems, the Central Bank of Iraq announced in 2022 the allocation of one trillion dinars (about $750 million) to secure subsidized loans for the private sector, including homes and private companies. But according to renewable energy specialists, this project is faltering due to the lack of cooperation from banks.
Over the past years, Iraq has relied on Iran for electricity supplies, importing 1,200 megawatts, as well as gas fuel to feed local power plants.
This year, the Iraqi News Agency quoted the authority’s advisor, Rahim al-Jaafari, as saying, “There are serious and practical steps to produce electricity from solar energy, as a plan has been developed to produce about 12,000 megawatts by the end of 2030,” adding that “it has been approved by the Council of Ministers.”
The Ministry of Environment has identified 3 types of pollution, including waste, that represent a challenge during the current stage in Iraq, calling for the adoption of modern technologies and renewable and clean energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.
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