Iraq unveils largest solar power plant
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Ministry of Electricity announced on Thursday the launch of 'Shams Basra,' the country's largest solar power project.
In a statement, the ministry's media office revealed that French TotalEnergies had begun civil works to construct the solar power plant in Basra.
The project spans approximately 9,000 dunams (about 2,220 acres) of desert land and will feature around 2 million solar panels distributed across four generating units, the statement explained, adding that the plant is expected to produce 1,000 megawatts of clean electricity, with each unit generating 250 megawatts.
The ministry is overseeing Shams Basra, describing it as 'a strategic step to reduce dependence on imported fuel and strengthen Iraq's energy security,' the statement added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
4 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Turkish delegation to visit Iraq soon with key issues on agenda
Shafaq News/ A high-level Turkish delegation is expected to visit Baghdad in the coming days, a source familiar with the matter told Shafaq News on Thursday. The delegation, headed by the President of the Turkish Council of Higher Education and including several ministers, will hold discussions on key issues, including the security situation in Syria and the presence of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) elements. The talks will also address economic matters, particularly mechanisms for resuming oil exports through the Ceyhan port, as well as the issue of financial penalties imposed on Turkiye. Additional commercial agreements and other files will also be on the agenda during meetings with the Iraqi government. Turkiye halted oil flows through the pipeline linking the Kurdistan Region to the Ceyhan port in March 2023 after a tribunal ordered Ankara to pay Iraq approximately $1.5 billion in compensation for unauthorized oil exports, refusing to pay the fine and asking Erbil to assume the liability. The shutdown halted around 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iraqi oil exports. A restart could partially ease the impact on oil markets, which have faced reduced shipments from Iraq, a key crude supplier. Iraq previously exported between 400,000 and 500,000 bpd from northern fields, including those in the Kurdistan Region, through the now-idle pipeline. Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani visited Turkiye on May 8, 2025, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit focused on strengthening bilateral relations and concluded with the signing of 10 memorandums of understanding in areas including energy, trade, investment, and security. Meanwhile, trade between Iraq and Turkiye reached approximately $13 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow further in 2025.
Shafaq News
4 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq and Syria to reopen Al-Qaim border crossing next week
Shafaq News/ Iraq and Syria will reopen the Al-Qaim–Al-Bukamal border crossing to travelers and commercial traffic next Monday, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday. Turki Al-Mahlawi, the district commissioner of Al-Qaim in Iraq's Al-Anbar Province, told Shafaq News that the crossing will resume normal operations at the beginning of next week following a bilateral agreement. The reopening does not pose any security threat to Al-Anbar or Iraq, noting that the border is 'well-secured and jointly managed,' he added. Additionally, Syria's General Authority for Land and Maritime Border Crossings announced that the Al-Bukamal crossing will reopen on June 14 for both travelers and freight trucks. تُعلن الهيئة العامة للمنافذ البرية والبحرية عن افتتاح معبر البوكمال الحدودي مع العراق أمام حركة عبور المسافرين والشاحنات اعتباراً من يوم السبت الموافق لـ 2025/06/14م.وإذ تؤكّد الهيئة جاهزية كوادرها وكافة المرافق الخدمية في المعبر، فإنها تهيب بالأخوة المسافرين وسائقي الشاحنات… — الهيئة العامة للمنافذ البرية والبحرية السورية (@Syrianborders) June 12, 2025 Mazen Alloush, the Authority's Director of Public Relations, told Shafaq News that the reopening 'revives the eastern economic artery of the trade route between Syria and Iraq and strengthens overland connectivity along the Damascus–Bukamal–Qaim–Baghdad corridor, reducing costs and accelerating the flow of goods.' He added that the move 'will help restore economic activity in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province and Iraq's Al-Anbar, where local populations depend heavily on the exchange of agricultural and livestock products.' According to Alloush, the crossing 'serves as a cornerstone for reconstruction programs and the systematic supply of raw materials needed for Syrian industry, while also creating opportunities for exporting national products to Iraqi markets.' Separately, Syria's Ministry of Economy and Industry said the reopening of the Al-Bukamal crossing 'is more than just the passage of trucks—it marks the beginning of a new economic vision between Syria and Iraq, one built on production and integration rather than rentier exchange and consumption.' A spokesperson from the Ministry indicated to Shafaq News that the Ministry is developing a practical investment roadmap based on real projects, noting that the crossing would serve as a vital route for the flow of raw materials and Syrian goods into Iraqi and Gulf markets. The crossing has remained closed since December 2024 due to security concerns stemming from clashes in the area and the withdrawal of Syrian government forces.
Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq liquidates two of four joint investment firms with Syria
Shafaq News/ Two out of four joint investment companies with Syria have been liquidated, the Iraqi Fund for External Development announced on Thursday. According to an official report, Iraq holds investments in four Syria-based companies, operating in both euros and US dollars. The first to be liquidated was the Arab Company for Livestock Development (ACOLID), with capital exceeding $210 million and a 16.8% Iraqi stake valued at $35.684 million. The second is the Iraqi-Syrian Land Transport Company, which holds €10 million in capital, half of which is owned by Iraq at a value of €5 million. The report also noted that two other companies are undergoing liquidation: the Iraqi-Syrian Maritime Navigation Company, with a capital of €25 million—of which Iraq holds a 50% share worth €12.5 million—and the Iraqi-Syrian Telecommunications Company, which has a capital of €20 million, with Iraq's stake amounting to €10 million.
