TEHRAN–Solar resources have the capacity to cover for Iran’s total electricity demand, according to Akbar Adibfar, the managing director of Renewable Energies Company, a subsidiary of Iran’s MAPNA Group.

Adibfar said: “As of now, there have been a few investments to exploit renewable energies, especially the solar energy, because the costs were too high”, the ISNA news agency reported on Friday.

Recently, many European countries have shown interest to invest in Iran’s renewable energies; the official said, adding that Iran enjoys high potentials in using renewable resources due to its topographical features.

Iran has the potentiality to generate 40,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from solar and wind resources, according to Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Houshang Falahatian.  

The current total electricity generation capacity of solar and wind power plants stand at 250 MW in the country.  

German companies are reportedly about to begin building wind farms in Iran at a cost of $331 million next year. 

The government plans to install 5,000 MW of renewable capacity, putting Iran among the likes of the UK and France.

The Ministry of Energy is already implementing 500 MW wind converters and further 100 MW biomass projects. 

Iran’s renewable energy potential is huge, where only the wind capacity is estimated at 30,000 megawatts. 

The existing renewable mix is focused on hydro power plants which produce about 8,500 MW. Just 150 megawatts of green power plants are currently operating in the country. 

A consortium of Iranian, Indian and South Korean companies seeks to set up an energy park in the southeastern province of Khuzestan in a project worth $10 billion, including 1,000 MW of solar projects. 

SJ/