TEHRAN - Energy Ministry's Spokesman for Electricity Industry Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said developing renewable power plants in industrial parks is going to be a practical way for meeting the power demands of the industrial sector and prevent outages during peak consumption periods, IRNA reported.

Making the remarks in an online meeting held on the matter, Rajabi Mashhadi said: “If we develop solar power plants in industrial parks, they would be able to stay active during the peak consumption periods by reducing consumption under the supervision and management of the industrial parks themselves.”

The meeting was attended by members of Iranian Electrical Power Equipment Manufacturing and Provision Company (known as SATKAB), Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO), Department of Environment, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), Tavanir Company, and Iran Grid Management Company (IGMC).

Rajabi Mashhadi appreciated the cooperation of industrial parks during the summer’s peak consumption period and said: “Reducing the electricity consumption of industries located in industrial parks during peak hours is necessary, however, it must be done in such a way that solar power plants located in settlements are not cut off at all, and power plants should stay connected to the national grid at peak periods.”

The official further underlined constructing renewable power plants in industrial parks as a practical and cost-effective way for resolving the problems regarding the supply of fuel for power plants during the cold season as well, saying that it should be implemented as soon as possible.

Over the past decade, constant temperature rising and the significant decrease of rainfalls across Iran have put the country in a hard situation regarding electricity supply during peak consumption periods.

This year, however, new deteriorating factors like severe drought and the decline in the country’s water resources as well as a new wave of illegal cryptocurrency mining across the country have also worsened the situation.

Back in July, ISIPO Head Fathali Mohammadzadeh said the country’s industrial parks currently lack 8,000 megawatts (MW) [eight gigawatts] of electricity which could be provided through small-scale power plants.

According to Mohammadzadeh, the government has considered special incentives for industries active in such industrial parks for constructing small-scale solar power plants to meet their needs.

“For those industrial units that can install solar panels on their roofs simultaneously with constructing their units, we will give a five to 10 percent discount on the price of their allocated land [in the industrial parks],” Mohammadzadeh said.

Earlier this month, Deputy Industry Minister Saeed Zarandi announced that the ministries of Energy and Industry, Mining and Trade are going to sign an MOU for collaboration in constructing 13 power plants for industrial units across the country.

EF/MA