PM Barzani to lay foundation stone of a $100-million solar power plant in Erbil  

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani will lay the foundation stone of a multi-million-dollar solar power plant in Erbil, amid efforts to curb the emission of fuel-based electricity generation.

The environmentally-friendly plant would provide 25 megawatts of electricity per hour upon the project’s completion, a statement from the premier’s office read.

Located in southern Erbil, the $100-million project’s foundation stone will be laid by Premier Barzani. The project is expected to be completed in one year, located on 590 dunums (nearly 145 acres) of land in the southern province, near the Erbil Gas Power Station.

The plant, once fully operational, will be “the biggest solar power plant in Iraq and Kurdistan Region,” the Ministry of Electricity announced on Thursday.

Approximately, 20% to 30% of the Region’s electricity is powered by solar power, the ministry stated. The project will inevitably increase electricity through clean, alternative energy. 

Currently, there are two solar power plants that generate electricity in the Region, which still experience power outages, particularly during the scorching summer months. 

The ministry contracted with Pluto Otto Cycle in 2022 to build a solar power plant in Erbil.