TEHRAN - The capacity of Iran’s renewable power plants reached 859.17 megawatts (MW) in the tenth Iranian calendar month of Dey (December 21, 2020-January 19, 2021), IRNA reported on Thursday.

As reported, Iranian renewable power plants managed to produce 5.738 billion kilowatt-hours (Kwh) of electricity in the mentioned month, 50 percent (426.17 MW) of which was produced by solar power plants.

Wind power plants also accounted for 35 percent (303.18 MW) of the total output, followed by hydropower plants which had a 12-percent share (105.65 MW) of the total production.

Back in December 2020, Mohammad Satakin, who heads Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), said the capacity of the country’s renewable power plants is going to reach 1,000 MW (one gigawatt) by the end of the current government’s incumbency (August 2021).

Also, Director General of SATBA Potential Assessment and Resource Evaluation Office Mitra Gholami has said that over the past three years, SATBA has successfully identified regions for the construction of 121,500 MW capacity of renewable power plants across the country by conducting potential assessment studies.

Overall, in the next five years, Iran is aiming for a 5,000 MW increase in renewable capacity to meet growing domestic demand and expand its presence in the regional electricity market.

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

Iran is also planning on expanding its presence in the region’s renewable energy market.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said in December 2020 that the country has great potentials in the field of renewable energies and can have a significant role in developing the region’s market for such energies.

“Relying on the high potential of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, etc., the Energy Ministry has planned good measures in order to implement new policies for creating positive changes in the development of the country’s renewable energy sector,” the minister said.

EF/MA