Nationwide blackout hits Iraq amid chronic power shortages and push for solar energy

Dubai: A nationwide power outage plunged Iraq into darkness on Monday after a technical fault disrupted the country’s electricity transmission network, local media reported. Government sources said service was unlikely to be restored for at least three hours.

The blackout comes as Iraq — an OPEC member and one of the world’s top oil producers — continues to grapple with chronic electricity shortages that have persisted since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Years of underinvestment, poor maintenance, and mismanagement have left the national grid struggling to meet surging demand, particularly during the scorching summer months.

The crisis has pushed some Iraqis, especially farmers, to adopt solar energy for irrigation systems, aided by government incentives for renewable energy. Iraq aims to generate 12 gigawatts of solar power by 2030, including a one-gigawatt plant in Basra slated for completion this year.

Iraq’s electricity minister has projected that summer demand will peak at 55 gigawatts in 2025, far exceeding the current 27-gigawatt supply. Earlier this year, production briefly reached an unprecedented 28,000 megawatts, according to the Electricity Ministry.

To address the gap, the government has signed major deals with General Electric, Siemens, and Shanghai Electric to expand generation capacity, while advancing large-scale renewable energy projects as part of its clean energy strategy.