Saudi-listed ACWA Power will build and operate a solar power plant in Iraq under an initial agreement reached with Baghdad, Iraq’s Electricity Minister has said.

Ziad Fadil told officials from the Saudi Investment Authority at talks in Baghdad on Tuesday that the Ministry has invited ACWA Power to finalise an agreement for the project in the Central Najaf province.

The official Iraqi News Agency quoted the Minister  as saying:”We have invited ACWA Power to sign a final agreement for the construction and operation of a solar power plant in Najaf with a capacity  of  1,000 megawatts (MW).”

Iraq has awarded solar energy contracts  to several foreign firms as part of a post-war plan to rebuild its power  sector and expand the use  of renewable energy sources. The projects including one set awarded to France’s TotalEnergies have a combined generation capacity of around 7.5 gigawatts (GW).

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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