Electricity generation from renewables in the said month led to economizing on the consumption of natural gas by 25 million cubic meters while saving 19 million liters of water and also prevented the emission of 57,000 tons of Green House Gases (GHG).

The capacity of Iran’s renewable power plants reached 920.260 megawatts (MW) in the mentioned month, of which solar power plants with 452.75 MW had the biggest share.

Wind power plants with 317 MW of energy production stood in second place, followed by small hydropower plants with a generation of 105.65 MW.

Renewables, including hydropower, account for about seven percent of the country’s total energy generation, versus natural gas’ 90 percent share.

Overall, in the next four years, Iran is aiming for a 5,000 MW increase in renewable capacity to meet growing domestic demand and expand its presence in the regional electricity market.

According to SATBA, the number of small-scale solar power plants across the country which are used by households or small industries is also increasing noticeably as Iranian households and small industries are embracing the new technology with open arms and investors also seem eager for more contribution in this area.

Iran is also planning on expanding its presence in the region’s renewable energy market.

According to the Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, the country has great potentials in the field of renewable energies and can have a significant role in developing the region’s market for such energies.

“Relying on the high potential of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, etc., the Energy Ministry has planned good measures in order to implement new policies for creating positive changes in the development of the country’s renewable energy sector,” Ardakanian has said.

Back in December 2020, SATBA Head Mohammad Satakin said the capacity of the country’s renewable power plants was going to reach 1,000 MW (one gigawatt) by the end of the current government’s incumbency (August 2021).

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Jafar Mohammadnejad-Sigaroudi made the remark in an Instagram post on Saturday, adding that at present, the country’s wind power plant capacity stands at 302 MW, IRNA reported.

He noted that the country’s wind and solar power plants become more active in summer, generating over 80 percent of their annual electricity output, which can prove helpful in the effective management of the national network’s consumption peak during the warm seasons.

Commenting on a visit by Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian to the eastern Iranian province of South Khorasan on Saturday, SATBA spokesman said construction of a 50-MW wind power plant started in the province concurrently with the minister’s trip.

The wind power plant is expected to become operational in the next Iranian calendar year, starting March 2021, with €70 million in investments.

The project will be implemented using domestic capabilities by MAPNA Group, an industrial enterprise consisting of the parent company, MAPNA Group Company, and more than 40 subsidiaries. The power plant will be equipped with 20 turbines, each with a power generation capacity of 2.5 MW, and an 80-meter high turbine tower.

Once completed, the power plant will help reduce the country’s diesel and water consumption by 45 million liters and 125,000 cubic meters per year.

In February, SATBA announced that Iran’s total actual renewable electricity generation capacity reached 865 MW during January 21-February 19, 2020.

The country’s installed renewable electricity generation capacity stands at 3,724 MW, IRNA reported.

This comes as renewable power plants with a capacity of 350 MW are under construction in the country.

In addition, the increased use of renewable energies in the same 30-day period to February 19 helped reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse gases in the country by 1.25 billion cubic meters and 3,032 tons, respectively.

Iran is speeding up efforts for the development of the renewable energy sector. In early February, the Energy Ministry, in a report, announced that the latest data shows Iran’s electricity generation capacity from the renewables had reached 841 MW.

The report added that the country’s renewable power capacity had grown by five times since 2013.

It said a total of 120 MW-scale renewable power plants are active in Iran, including 55 solar farms that generate more than three terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and 19 wind farms with around 2.6 TWh of capacity, Press TV reported.

Scientific studies suggest that Iran can increase electricity generation from the renewables to up to 80,000 MW, of which around 80 percent can come from solar energy.

The Iranian government has defined a target of 4,000 MW for 2021. An umbrella development document stipulates that Iran should generate 5,000 MW of renewable power by March 2022.

An increase in renewable capacity can also allow Iran to free up a significant amount of natural gas burnt in thermal power plants and feed it to export pipelines.

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This data indicates that Iranian households and small industries have embraced the new technology with open arms and investors also seem eager for more contribution in this area.

According to the mentioned report, the number of small scale solar power plants was reported to be 574 with a total capacity of 5942 KW, this shows a near 31 percent rise in using small-scaled renewable plants in a two-month period.

Coming of the renewable energy into the homes of Iranians means less usage of fossil fuels and also less costs for the households which could be a great start for the country’s long-term plans in this regard.

According to SATBA forecasts and information gathered from provincial power distribution companies all over the country, using small scale renewable power plants, especially rooftop solar panels, is also expected to grow significantly in the upcoming year.

In recent years, clean energy has come under spotlight in Iran as the oil rich country also enjoys some advantageous geographical and climate condition to benefit from renewable sources of energy.

Iran’s power generation capacity is currently 77,000 megawatts (MW), of which renewables account for just 420 MW and according to the former Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian the figure is planned to reach 600 MW by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2018).

Based on the country’s Sixth Five-Year National Development Plan (2016-2021), Iran is aiming to increase its capacity of power generation from renewable sources by 5,000 MW per annum to meet growing domestic demand and also increase its electricity exports.

In September 2017, Mohammad Sadeqzadeh, the head of SABTA, claimed that Iran’s renewables could come to account for a quarter of power generation by 2022.

To meet the set target, the Energy Ministry has taken a new approach toward development of renewable sector and has been offering incentives to both Iranian and foreign investors for cooperation in renewable projects inside the country.

It has led to more contribution of private sector to this industry, and also attraction of foreign investors appreciating Iran’s noticeable resources of solar energy and wind power in addition to its special geopolitical location which makes it one of the best areas for investment in renewables.

Overall, in the next five years, Iran is aiming for a 5,000 MW increase in renewable capacity to meet growing domestic demand and expand its presence in the regional electricity market and this new wave of small scale power plants which is backed by foreign investment and supported by small households is going to have a great role in realization of this goal.

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