Iraq Sets Aside Land for 9,650 MW of Solar Projects in Baghdad and Three Provinces

Iraq’s government has identified 10 agricultural plots for solar power plants to be built during the summer season in Baghdad and three provinces, with total installed capacity planned at 9,650 megawatts. The move is intended to expand renewable electricity supply through large-scale projects in Kirkuk, Najaf, Karbala and Anbar. Each of the planned plants in Kirkuk, Najaf and Karbala is set at 1,000 megawatts, while the Anbar project is planned at 650 megawatts. Municipalities have allocated 300 dunams of land for each project. The Central Bank and private banks are offering concessional loans to support the projects, with interest rates ranging from 1.5% to 2.5% and repayment periods of up to seven years. The financing package is designed to ease access to solar energy systems for citizens. The credit scheme carries limits of up to 30 million dinars, as part of broader efforts to facilitate investment and administrative procedures in the solar energy sector.