Iran at new renewables milestone with 3.5 GW installed
Iran’s renewable energy capacity has reached a new milestone amid extensive government support for the sector.
The head of the Iranian Energy Ministry’s renewable energy department (SATBA) said on Tuesday that renewable capacity in the country had exceeded 3.5 gigawatts (GW) after the inauguration of around 0.303 GW of new solar power plants earlier in the day.
Mohsen Tarztalab said that SATBA had also ordered the launch of an additional 0.71 GW of solar power projects across Iran, with a number of them located in and around the capital, Tehran.
He said the power plants inaugurated on Tuesday were spread across 16 provinces nationwide, adding that the projects would help ease pressure on the national electricity grid during peak demand periods.
The announcement comes as Iran seeks to substantially increase the share of renewable energy, particularly solar power, in its overall energy mix.
The increase in renewable electricity capacity follows official figures showing Iran had around 2.55 GW of installed renewable capacity as of October.
This suggests capacity has risen by nearly 40% in less than three months, although renewables still account for only about 4% of Iran’s total electricity mix.
Iranian Energy Ministry projections indicate that the country’s renewable capacity could expand by as much as nine times over the next three years, potentially reaching close to 30 GW, depending on project implementation and financing.
The government has earmarked some $1.5 billion in foreign-currency loans to support the expansion of solar power projects nationwide.
Iran’s sovereign wealth fund has also committed funding for payments to China for the supply of up to 7 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels.
SATBA announced in November that it had awarded a major contract to domestic manufacturers for the supply of solar inverters, a critical component needed for the expansion of the sector in the country.
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