TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with the Iraqi Ministeries of Oil and Electricity as well as the country's National Investment Commission concerning numerous projects in the Basra region.

These undertakings all pertain to improving development and utilization of domestic resources as well as securing more electricity for the nation, which suffers from power outages – a problem that has only grown in step with the population's increasing demand for electricity.

With support from Iraqi public authorities, TotalEnerges now moves to invest in installations for capturing surplus natural gas from three oil fields otherwise burned off via flaring. This gas will instead be used in power stations with capacities totaling 1.5GW in the first phase. For the second phase, this total could grow to 3GW.

However, the French group will also manage development of 1GW's worth of photovoltaics in the Basra region. Further, the oil and gas giant will build a facility for handling saltwater used for enhanced oil recovery in southern Iraqi fields. By using saltwater, the country can avoid further depleting its already-scarce supply of fresh water.

According to a press release, these projects call for a total investment of roughly USD 10bn.

"This project perfectly illustrates the new sustainable development model of TotalEnergies, a multi-energy Company which supports producing countries in their energy transition by combining the production of natural gas and solar energy to meet the growing demand for electricity," writes TotalEnergies Group Chief Executive and Chair Patrick Pouyanné in the media release.

"It also demonstrates how TotalEnergies can leverage its unique position in the Middle East, a region where the lowest-cost hydrocarbons are produced, to gain access to large-scale renewable projects" he adds.

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