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A family helps themselves during a power outage in Baghdad
Photo: ALI AL-SAADI / AFP
Iraq plans to build eight nuclear reactors by 2030 to meet its electricity needs.
They should produce 8,000 megawatts per month, covering 25 percent of the nation's needs, said Kamal Latif, head of the nuclear resources agency, on Tuesday.
The oil-rich country is suffering from a notorious power shortage and is hoping to reduce its dependence on other countries in the energy sector.
According to Latif, negotiations are currently ongoing with Russian, Korean, Chinese, American and French companies.
According to media reports, the costs could amount to up to 33 billion euros.
Iraq, however, is experiencing one of the worst economic crises in years.
Joe Biden also relies on nuclear power
Iraq currently produces 16,000 megawatts per month with the support of neighboring Iran.
However, the actual demand is estimated at at least 24,000 megawatts.
In addition, according to the United Nations, the population could double from the current 40 million by 2050.
According to experts, Iraq should renew its infrastructure rather than building new nuclear reactors. According to this, 30 to 50 percent of the energy in the electrical circuit is lost due to the ailing condition of the infrastructure. Among other things, the government has agreed projects with the German company Siemens to renew the infrastructure worth around eight billion euros. So far, however, none of the projects has been implemented.
Iraq is very much in trend around the world with the plans.
For example, Germany is moving out of nuclear power, but elsewhere many governments are increasingly relying on nuclear energy.
Dozens of new nuclear power plants are already being planned around the world, around 50 even under construction.
15 of these are in China alone.
And: The new US President Joe Biden is also relying on the construction of new nuclear power plants.
They are supposed to help the USA to reduce CO2 emissions quickly.
beb / afp