TEHRAN – Some 415 new solar power plant units with a total capacity of 2.4 megawatts (MW) have gone operational across Iran over the past two months, the spokesman of the country’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) announced.

According to Jafar Mohammadnejad Sigaroudi, so far, more than 6,674 such solar power stations have been put into operation in the country, IRIB reported.

Sigaroudi noted that the contribution of support organizations such as Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation and Basij Organization in this field has facilitated the development of the renewable industry in Iran.

As reported, the above-mentioned organizations are currently collaborating with SATBA to help deprived households in rural areas construct solar power plants and sell the generated electricity to the Energy Ministry in the form of 20-year guaranteed purchase agreements with SATBA.

The capacity of Iran's renewable power plants currently exceeds 920 MW among which solar power plants have the biggest share of electricity production, followed by wind power plants

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

According to SATBA’s Head Mohammad Satakin, the number of small-scale solar power plants across the country which are used by households or small industries is 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.

Back in January, the Energy Ministry and some of the country’s private contractors signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the construction of renewable power plants to generate 10,000 MW (10 gigawatts) of electricity across the country.

The MOUs were signed following the Energy Ministry’s public call for the contribution of private companies in a project for developing renewable power plants in the country.

Speaking in the signing ceremony, Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian said: “When the private sector invests in this industry [the renewables], the government is obliged to return the equivalent of the investment plus its interests to the investor.”

Mehrabian noted that the government has allocated over 30 trillion rials (about $115.8 million) for the development of renewables in the budget bill for the next Iranian calendar year (begins on March 21), saying that it is an unprecedented budget in this area.

EF/MA