Riyadh:Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Waheeb met with Saudi company ACWA to discuss accelerating the implementation of an investment solar power plant project in Najaf province.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the meeting took place during the WPC Energy conference in Riyadh, where Minister Waheeb and Mohammed Abunayyan, chairman of ACWA, explored cooperation in electricity generation projects and investments in renewable energy.

The discussions focused on expediting the submission and completion of the commercial offer for the solar power plant in Najaf and considered increasing the project’s capacity from 1,000 to 2,000 megawatts, with 30% dedicated to battery energy storage systems.

The parties also examined leveraging ACWA’s expertise in managing, operating, and maintaining electricity generation plants according to technical and economic standards. Additionally, they discussed launching a pioneering project at an existing power plant in Iraq.

Minister Waheeb emphasized the ministry’s dedication to collaborating with specialized international companies to fast-track investment projects, aiming to diversify electricity sources and enhance plant efficiency, in line with Iraq’s electricity sector development priorities.