Inside the Basra Steel solar plant: from 68 MWp of panels to a 220 kV grid connection

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


aerial view, Basra Steel solar plant + 220 kV connection

The Basra Steel project is a complete power system, not only a solar farm. It generates electricity, stores it, raises it through three voltage levels and delivers it to the high-voltage grid. International Consolidated Contractors Offshore SAL (ICCO) delivered every part of that chain under a single EPC contract, completed on 5 June 2026.

Component Size Role
Solar PV plant 68 MWp Generates DC power, converted to AC by inverters
Battery energy storage system 30 MWh Stores energy and supports steadier output
Medium-voltage network About 50 km at 33 kV Collects power across the site
Collector and step-up substation 132/33 kV Raises voltage from 33 kV to 132 kV
Grid-interconnection substation 220/132 kV Connects the plant to the high-voltage grid
Overhead transmission lines About 25 km at 220 kV and 132 kV Carry power between substations and the grid
SCADA, protection, control, telecoms Plant-wide Monitor, protect and operate the system

The solar field

The 68 MWp PV plant covers both civil and electrical works. Civil works on a plant of this size include site preparation, roads, drainage, foundations and mounting structures. Electrical works include modules, DC cabling, inverters and transformers.

Basra’s climate shapes the design. Summer heat reduces module output and stresses equipment, and dust settles on panels. Equipment ratings, cooling and cleaning provisions all have to account for those conditions.


68 MWp PV array / solar field

Battery storage

The 30 MWh BESS adds flexibility that solar alone cannot offer. Storage of this kind can smooth short-term swings in output when clouds or dust pass. It can also hold daytime energy for release later.



Collecting and stepping up the power

About 50 km of 33 kV network gathers power from across the site and brings it to the 132/33 kV collector substation. There the voltage is raised to 132 kV for transmission.

The 220/132 kV substation then forms the interface with the grid. About 25 km of 220 kV and 132 kV overhead lines complete the route.

The control layer

SCADA gives operators a live view of the plant, from individual inverters to substation breakers. Protection systems detect faults and isolate them within fractions of a second. Telecommunications links carry the data and commands between the plant, the substations and the grid operator.

Together these systems allow a facility spread over many kilometres to run as one coordinated power station.

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.

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