10MW solar farm starts operation in south-eastern Iran

• 4 years ago (2019-07-09)
• David Flin

Middle East 310 Solar 242

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A 10MW solar power plant has been inaugurated in Kerman province in south-eastern Iran. The $4.6 million plant is based in Baft County, and was designed and constructed by Iranian companies.

According to the Iranian Energy Ministry , the new solar farm will help reduce greenhouse gases by up to 10,000 tons annually, and save the consumption of 4 million cubic metres of natural gas and over 3000 cubic meters of water. There are currently nine solar plants with a total capacity of 59MW in Kerman province.

According to the Energy Ministry, the current capacity of Iran’s renewable power plants is 724MW, with another 416MW under construction. Solar power plants represent 44 per cent of the country’s renewable capacity, wind farms supply 40 per cent, and small-scale hydropower plants supply 13 per cent of the total renewable capacity.

Iran is aiming to increase renewable capacity by 5000MW over the next five years. According to Seyed Mohammad Sadeqzadeh, the head of Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organisation (SATBA), renewable power generation capacity will exceed 1000MW by the end of the current Iranian year (19 March, 2020). He said that Iran plans to add power generated from renewable sources to its export basket.