Eighteen months, one contract: delivering a complete solar power system in Basra

Project: Basra Steel — 68 MWp Solar PV + 30 MWh BESS | Basra, Iraq | Full EPC delivered by ICCO | USD 81,367,380 | 18 months | Completed 5 June 2026

Basra Steel — a 68 MWp solar plant with its own 220 kV grid connection, completed 5 June 2026. Image: project reference.

On 5 June 2026, International Consolidated Contractors Offshore SAL (ICCO) completed a 68 MWp solar plant with 30 MWh of battery storage for Basra Steel. The contract ran 18 months and was valued at USD 81,367,380.

The headline figure is the solar capacity. The harder task was delivering six interdependent packages of work on one schedule.

Six packages, one programme

The scope combined work that is often split between several contractors:

• A 68 MWp solar PV plant, including civil and electrical works
• A 30 MWh battery energy storage system
• A 220/132 kV grid-interconnection substation
• A 132/33 kV collector and step-up substation
• About 25 km of 220 kV and 132 kV overhead lines, and about 50 km of 33 kV network
• SCADA, protection, control, telecommunications and grid-interconnection systems

Each package depends on the others. The solar plant cannot be tested until the substations are energized. The substations cannot be energized until the lines are complete.

The 68 MWp PV plant: civil and electrical works delivered on a single programme. Image: project reference.

Why single-point responsibility matters

Under a full EPC contract, one party carries the design, procurement, construction and commissioning risk. The client deals with one contractor, one programme and one set of guarantees.

This removes the interface gaps that cause delay on multi-contract projects. When the same team designs the substation and the plant that feeds it, mismatches are found on paper, not on site.

Working in parallel

An 18-month programme for this scope leaves little room for sequential work. Engineering, procurement and construction have to overlap.

Long-lead items set the pace. Power transformers and high-voltage switchgear take many months to manufacture and ship, so they must be specified and ordered early. Civil works then proceed on several fronts while that equipment is in production.

Linear works add their own demands. Transmission lines and medium-voltage routes stretch across about 75 km in total, which calls for route surveys, access arrangements and crews working well beyond the plant boundary.

Two substations and about 75 km of lines connect the plant to the grid. Image: project reference.

Building in Basra’s conditions

Basra’s summers are among the hottest in the world. Extreme heat limits working hours, affects concrete curing and requires strict heat-stress controls for site crews.

Dust and wind add to the challenge for both people and equipment. Planning the heaviest outdoor work around the cooler months is essential on any programme in southern Iraq.

Six interdependent packages delivered under a single EPC contract. Image: project reference.

From construction to handover

The final stage brought the packages together. Testing, energization, synchronization and performance verification confirmed that the system met its design requirements before final handover to Basra Steel.

For ICCO, the project demonstrates the capability to deliver utility-scale generation, storage and high-voltage infrastructure as one integrated system.

About the Contractor — ICCO
International Consolidated Contractors Offshore SAL (ICCO) delivered this project as a single EPC contract — design, engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning — through to energization and handover. Throughout this article, the contractor, the delivery partner and the EPC contractor refer to ICCO.