Meed | QatarEnergy to acquire 50% in Iraq 1GW solar project

QatarEnergy to acquire 50% in Iraq 1GW solar project

29 October 2024

QatarEnergy has signed an agreement with France's TotalEnergies to acquire a 50% interest in the 1,000MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project as part of the $27bn Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) in Iraq.

TotalEnergies will retain the remaining 50% of the project. The shared ownership is subject to regulatory approvals.

Located in Artawi – also known as Ratawi – in southern Iraq, the solar PV project is expected to start construction soon, MEED reported on 25 October.

In a statement, QatarEnergy said: "The project will consist of 2 million high-efficiency bifacial solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers and will, upon its completion, be capable of supplying up to 1.25 gigawatts (peak) of solar-generated power to the electricity grid in the Basra region of Iraq.

"The project will be developed in phases that will come online between 2025 and 2027 and will have the capacity to provide electricity to about 350,000 homes in the Basra region."

TotalEnergies Renewables awarded China Energy Engineering International Group the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project in August.

China Energy Engineering Tianjin Electric Power Construction, International Group and Southwest Institute will deliver the project.

It was reported at the time that construction work is expected to start later this year, and completion is expected in early 2027.

The project includes the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the PV power station site and 132-kilovolt booster station, with a capacity of 1,000MW.

In addition to the solar PV independent power project (IPP), the three main projects that make up the $27bn GGIP are:

A treatment facility for associated natural gas from five southern oil fields – West Qurna 2, Majnoon, Artawi, Tuba and Luhais
The $4bn common seawater supply project
Development of the Artawi gas field

QatarEnergy announced in June 2023 that it had entered into a consortium to implement the GGIP in Iraq, with a 25% participating interest, together with TotalEnergies (45%) and Iraq’s Basra Oil Company (30%).

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Jennifer Aguinaldo