QatarEnergy has entered a partnership with TotalEnergies to develop a 1.25GW (peak) solar project in Iraq.

Under the agreement, which is awaiting regulatory approvals, QatarEnergy will hold a 50% stake in the solar photovoltaic (PV) project, with TotalEnergies retaining the other half.

The solar facility is one of the world’s largest solar projects and is located in the Basra region of Iraq.

It will feature two million bifacial solar panels equipped with single-axis trackers.

Clean energy generated from the solar facility will be supplied to the local electricity grid.

The project will be developed in stages, with completion phases from 2025 to 2027.

It will deliver green electricity to 350,000 homes.

The solar venture is part of Iraq’s broader Gas Growth Integrated Project, which QatarEnergy joined in June 2023.

The consortium comprises QatarEnergy with a 25% interest, TotalEnergies with 45% and Iraq’s Basra Oil Company with 30%. It aims to harness Iraq’s natural resources while reducing gas flaring in the Basra region to power local plants.

The Minister of State for Energy Affairs and president and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi stated: “I am pleased to have concluded our entry into this very important project for Iraq’s energy sector, and look forward to working with our strategic partner, TotalEnergies, to progress it to fruition.

“We thank the Iraqi government for their trust, and TotalEnergies for this opportunity to support Iraq’s solar power development.”

In September 2024, QatarEnergy announced plans to construct a new 2GW solar power project in Qatar’s Dukhan area.

The initiative will more than double Qatar’s solar energy production capacity and substantially reduce the nation’s carbon emissions.

The project will increase Qatar’s PV solar power production capacity to 4GW.