Iraq is considering joining the UAE and other countries to build a nuclear reactor to generate electricity and lessen reliance on power imports, an Iraqi news network reported.
The reactor will be for peaceful purposes and confined to generating clean electric power, Al-Forat News said, adding that it will help Iraq ease dependence on oil and gas in operating its electricity facilities.
The network quoted Forat Musawi, a well-known Iraqi petroleum geology researcher, as saying the government has considered this project for some time.
“This project has been on the cards for some time…Iraq believes it will support its efforts to achieve electricity self-sufficiency and at the same time allow it to reduce dependence on other sources of energy such as oil and gas,” Musawi said.
Musawi said a nuclear power plant would generate sufficient energy needed for mega projects in Iraq such as the $17 billion ‘Development Road,’ which involves the construction of a 1,200-km rail line and a motorway from South Iraq to its Northern border with Turkey.
Iraq has launched a post-war drive to rehabilitate its power sector with the awarding of contracts to several foreign firms for the expansion of its power networks and the construction of solar power parks. It is also locked in projects to get power supplies from nearby Jordan and the GCC countries through joint electricity grids.
