TEHRAN – The third national award on renewables will be held November 20-21, aiming to introduce exemplary producers and projects which pave the way for expanding the use of renewable energies in the country.

“Top renewable energy project”, “manufacturers of equipment for renewable energy”, “capable companies in the field of EPC”, “regional power generation and distribution companies”,” top scientific figure”, and “top young researcher” will be awarded, ISNA reported.

Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian has said Iran, like other responsible countries, has prioritized the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change and seeks an ideal world free of pollution.

Considering the high potential of the country’s renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal, Iran's renewable energy market is a very attractive market for investors and the Energy Ministry is offering long-term contracts with attractive incentive rates to investors, Mehrabian said in October.

Historically, Iran is one of the leading countries in the use of wind energy in windmills, but the first modern and industrial use of wind power in Iran was started in 1955 when two modern wind turbines with a capacity of 500 KW were purchased and installed in northern Gilan province, after which the government decided to develop wind energy in the country.

Currently, the capacity of wind farms in Iran is 302 MW, while the economic potential of the construction of such power plants is more than 7,000 MW, which certainly can be very effective and useful in managing the peak of the electricity load in the country.

The first document related to the development of clean energy was prepared by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization with the assistance of the World Bank. In addition to this document, based on the 20-year National Outlook Plan, Iran must establish an annual 90 MW wind farm by the end of 2025.

MG