TEHRAN- As announced by a provincial official, 448 solar farms have been established in South Khorasan province, in the east of Iran, during the past four years.

Alireza Pouzeshi, the director of the projects for renewable energy and reducing powers loses in the power distribution company of the province, put the capacity of the mentioned solar farms at 4,338 kilowatts.

Iran’s installed capacity of solar farms stands at nearly 900 megawatts (MW), according to the Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian.

Highlighting that many good strides have been taken in this field in the country over the recent years, the minister said that the significant increase in the capacity of the country’s power plants, which is the result of the efforts of domestic experts, can meet all the electricity needs of the country, while boosting Iran’s electricity export.

The share of solar power plants in Iran’s renewable electricity generation capacity has reached 49 percent, according to the data released by Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (known as SATBA).

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

Overall, in the next four 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.

MA/MA