TEHRAN – Solar power plants with a total generation capacity of 10 megawatts will come online nationwide by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2017), Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said on Monday.

Chitchian made the remarks in the inauguration ceremony of the first 1MW solar power plant in Arak, Markazi province, ISNA reported. 

He said Iran is determined to add 7,500MW to its power production capacity through launching renewable power plants in the country by 2030.

He further noted that generating solar power does not require huge investment. It is quite affordable and lucrative.

Mohammad Sadeqzadeh, the managing director of Renewable Energy Organization of Iran, Known as SUNA, said in July that the Islamic Republic will add renewable energy plants with a total generation capacity of 100MW by the end of the current Iranian calendar year. He added that Iran has put producing 5,000MW of electricity from renewable sources in the next five years on its agenda.  

Iran generates over 75,000MW of electricity per annum at the present time and is scheduled to add 47,000MW-50,000MW to this figure in the next ten years.
 
EF/MA