RIYADH: Saudi energy firm ACWA Power will build a 1,000 megawatt solar power plant in Iraq, the first clean energy project in the country, according to its electricity minister. The joint venture project will be developed in Central Iraq’s Najaf city, around 160 km south of the capital, Baghdad. In addition, the construction firm PowerChina has been awarded a contract to construct a 250 MW solar power facility in the country, Ziad Fadel revealed. “The Saudi firm has agreed to build the plant in Najaf as a joint investment project. We have already allocated land for the project with the help of the local government,” the minister said, as reported by Aliqtisad. This news came five days after Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman held talks in Riyadh with the visiting Iraqi electricity minister on recent developments on a project that will link the two countries’ power networks. The meeting explored opportunities for cooperation between the Kingdom and Iraq in renewable energy, while benefiting from the capabilities of ACWA Power and its contribution to the development of future projects in Iraq. The Saudi-Iraqi partnership will improve reliability of the electrical networks in the two countries, achieve economic savings, enhance optimal energy exchange for electricity production, and attract investment in electricity generation projects. Both ministers also discussed sharing the Kingdom’s expertise in the field of smart meters, as well as opportunities for Saudi companies to participate, alongside Iraqi companies, as contractors and manufacturers in developing infrastructure for smart meters. Also this month, French oil major TotalEnergies arranged with the Iraqi government invited ACWA Power to develop a 1 gigawatt solar power plant to supply electricity to the Basrah regional grid. Furthermore, Iraq signed a contract with PowerChina in August 2021 to build 2,000 MW solar plants in the nation, Reuters reported at the time. During a visit to Baghdad in February, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Kingdom’s foreign minister, said that Iraq plays an essential role in strengthening stability in the region. Prince Faisal also highlighted the depth of relations with Iraq, saying that ties between the two countries have recently witnessed “great momentum.”