Illumination Project cuts pollution in Kurdistan
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Illumination Project—aimed at providing 24-hour electricity to citizens—has had a significant environmental impact by reducing pollution across the region.
As a result of the project, 729 neighborhood generators have been decommissioned, eliminating a major source of both environmental and noise pollution. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) equates this reduction to the removal of approximately 120,000 to 125,000 vehicles’ worth of carbon dioxide emissions from the environment.
The initiative marks a key step toward cleaner energy use and sustainable urban living. Generators, which had long been used in neighborhoods to fill gaps in electricity supply, contributed heavily to pollution and urban noise.
According to the KRG Ministry of Electricity, 40 neighborhoods in Erbil now benefit from uninterrupted 24-hour electricity under the Illumination Project. In Sulaymaniyah Province, 9 neighborhoods have been connected, and in Dohuk Province, 2 neighborhoods are currently receiving round-the-clock power.
Officials say the project is not only easing daily life for residents but is also proving to be an effective tool for environmental reform by reducing dependence on fuel-based generators. More neighborhoods are expected to be connected in the coming phases.
