Energy in Focus

Project: Basra Steel — 68 MWp Solar PV + 30 MWh BESS | Basra, Iraq | Full EPC delivered by ICCO | Completed 5 June 2026 Energization begins at the 220/132 kV substation and works inward. Image: project reference. A power plant is not finished when the last panel is installed. It is finished when it has been proven to work safely with the grid. On the Basra Steel project, completed by International Consolidated Contractors Offshore SAL (ICCO) on 5 June 2026, that proof covered a 68 MWp solar plant, a 30 MWh battery system, two substations and about 75 km of transmission lines and medium-voltage network. This article explains what that final phase involves. Why commissioning carries so much weight A plant connected at 220 kV becomes part of the national transmission system. A fault inside the plant can affect other users, and a disturbance on the grid can damage the plant. Commissioning demonstrates that every protection, control and communication system respon...