A worker cleans solar panels at a rooftop installation
Iraq to build factory producing solar panels capable of generating 750 megawatts of power annually
BAGHDAD — The Ministry of Industry and Minerals announced plans to establish a fully integrated factory capable of producing enough solar panels each year to generate 750 megawatts of electricity, saying the project will meet domestic demand and enable future exports.
Ministry spokesperson Duha al-Jubouri said, “The ministry has signed a partnership agreement through Al-Zawraa General Company to establish a fully integrated plant equipped with modern machinery and technology for manufacturing solar panels of various capacities and high efficiencies. The project will serve government, industrial, commercial, and residential clean energy initiatives.”
She said the factory’s annual capacity “will help cover the needs of the local market, in addition to the possibility of expanding into neighboring regional markets.”
Al-Jubouri added that “all future solar power projects will be implemented using panels manufactured in Iraq by Al-Zawraa General Company,” which will supply panels for major power generation facilities as well as smaller systems for homes, businesses, and industries.
She said the project represents “an important step toward localizing solar energy system manufacturing and achieving added industrial value that reduces production costs,” making Iraqi-made panels more competitive with imports.
Al-Jubouri noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s strategy to support national industries and advance clean energy projects, including those financed through the Central Bank of Iraq’s solar lending programs.
The shift toward solar energy is accelerating nationwide. In Sulaymaniyah, more than 700 homes installed solar systems in the past two months, bringing the total to nearly 1,750 and generating over 26 megawatts of clean power. Across Iraq, projects such as the Ministry of Electricity’s 1,000-megawatt “Basra Sun” partnership with TotalEnergies are transforming energy use, while farmers in Balad and Salah al-Din are increasingly adopting solar-powered irrigation systems.
