TEHRAN - A solar farm with the capacity of generating 25 megawatts of electricity came on stream in Shahr-e Babak Copper Complex in Kerman province, and was connected to the national power network on Sunday, IRIB reported.

This solar farm, which is established in 42 hectares of land, can play a key role in removing electricity imbalance in the country.

As reported, the establishment of a 100-megawatt solar power plant in the near future, to provide sustainable energy and improve people's quality of life, is being investigated and planned.

Back in February, the head of the technical office of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) has said that five solar parks are currently being constructed across the country, Mehr News Agency reported.

“The government has approved the plan for the establishment of 17 solar parks in six provinces, five of which are being constructed,” Ruhollah Ebrahimi said.

According to the official, the mentioned parks are being established in Qazvin and Kerman provinces.

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), on behalf of the Energy Ministry, is in charge of the construction of the mentioned solar parks, and so far this organization has had good cooperation with ISIPO for the implementation of the said plan, Ebrahimi explained.

Last month, Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) reported that Iranian renewable power plants generated 261 million kilowatt-hours (Kwh) of electricity in the fourth Iranian calendar month of Tir (June 21- July 21), registering a nine-percent growth compared to a month earlier.

The electricity generated by renewable sources also increased by 28 percent in the third Iranian calendar month of Khordad (ended on June 20) compared to the same month last year.

Renewable sources generated more than 230 million kilowatt hours of electricity, an increase of 21 percent in comparison with a month earlier.

Wind power plants held the lion’s share of the rise in the production of electricity by renewable sources.

In late July, SATBA Head Mahmoud Kamani said 600 renewable power plants with a total capacity of 13,500 megawatts (MW) are under construction across the country and with these power plants going operational the share of renewables in Iran’s power generation will reach 15 percent.

“We hope that by implementing these power plants, the share of renewable energies in Iran's electricity production will increase to more than 15 percent in the next two years,” Kamani said.

Based on the Energy Ministry data, renewables, currently, account for nearly seven percent of the country’s total electricity generation capacity.

Of the country’s total renewable capacity, 44 percent is the share of solar power plants while the share of wind farms stands at 40 percent and small-scalded hydropower plants generate 13 percent of the total renewable capacity.

In early August, SATBA reported that the capacity of Iran's renewable power plants has reached 1,199.71 MW.

Over the past few years, the Iranian government has taken serious measures to accelerate the growth and development of renewable energies in the country.

Diversification of financing models for renewable projects, increasing the ceiling of guaranteed electricity purchase, providing the possibility of buying and selling renewable electricity in the green board of the Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX) and providing the possibility of exporting renewable electricity have been the most important measures taken for this purpose.

Back in January 2022, the Energy Ministry and some of the country’s private contractors signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the construction of new renewable power plants across the country.

MA