A new solar energy project in northern Iraq will provide electricity to Assyrian homes and farms and help curb a growing dependence on diesel-powered generators that residents fear are polluting the Nineveh Plains.
The initiative — focused on the village of Tesqopa and the surrounding Tel Keppe district — joins an increasing number of energy-related efforts that emerged after decades of nationwide power outages. Now, an ongoing budget dispute with the federal government threatens to make strengthening Iraq’s energy resources increasingly difficult.
Electricity supplies in Iraq typically meet only half of the country’s demand, said Faiz Yono, Chief Engineering Consultant on the project, due to years of conflict-related destruction, mismanagement, and corruption. As a result, residents receive about eleven hours of electricity per day during government-mandated outages. To bridge the gap, many rely on personal or neighborhood diesel generators, which emit toxic fumes.
“The Iraqi consumer is on their own in trying to obtain electricity for the other thirteen hours of the day,” Yono said.
Organized by the Shlama Foundation with help from U.S. volunteers, the new initiative will supply solar-powered electricity to 100 homes in Tesqopa and 30 farms in the Tel Keppe district. Panels will also power 40 streetlights. The solar systems will primarily serve as backup during government-imposed outages.
Funded by a $1 million USAID grant approved last September, the project depends on completing 12 milestones over a 23-month period.
Phase one is now complete, a source familiar with the work told the Journal. Earlier this year, outreach teams visited households across Tesqopa to educate families about the project. A lottery then determined which 100 homes would receive panels.
Following on-site assessments by engineers to determine each home’s energy needs, roughly a quarter of the necessary equipment has been purchased, with the remainder to be procured in upcoming phases.
Tesqopa and its farmlands were chosen due to a USAID requirement that the grant be used in an area liberated from the Islamic State.
Today, many farmers in the region have reduced the number of acres they harvest because they lack the electricity needed to pump water, Yono said. Water is currently hand-pumped from wells and stored in tanks, where it remains unused. With solar panels, water will be pumped directly to the fields, enabling farmers to expand the land they cultivate.
The grant covers engineering, equipment procurement, and installation. A portion also funded the training of six engineers — most of whom had their education interrupted during the ISIS occupation.
“It is empowering six native Nineveh Plains engineers to become solar experts and start a company that will compete in the slowly growing market for solar energy in Iraq,” Yono said.
The engineers hope to turn their experience into a sustainable business. Once the contract is complete, they plan to sell panels and offer installation services.
Shlama’s solar project is scheduled to launch during the first quarter of 2021, though a specific date has not yet been confirmed.
The initiative reflects a broader shift away from diesel-backed generators and toward clean energy solutions, highlighted by Iraq’s announcement this year of its first solar energy park.
“It’s not just about providing consistent electricity through a green alternative,” said Shlama board member Noor Matti. “It’s about educating people on the long-term adverse health effects of toxic fume exposure and improving health outcomes in the long-run.”