TEHRAN – The development of renewable power plants in Iran has accelerated since the current government administration took office in August 2021, an official with the country’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (known as SATBA) said.

According to Ali Shab-Navard, the Energy Ministry in the 13th government has defined new investment packages and strategies to attract more capital to fund new renewable projects across the country, IRNA reported.

“Different investment models in the 13th government have been a good incentive for investing in this sector,” the official said.

The mentioned measures led to the capacity of the country’s renewable power plants reaching 1,085 megawatts, which is a very good figure, he added.

Back in July, SATBA Head Mahmoud Kamani said the capacity of renewable power plants is increasing regularly and daily in the country.

Putting the under-construction power plants into operation will further increase this capacity, Kamani said.

Iranian Energy Ministry has put it on the agenda to add 10,000 MW to the capacity of the country’s renewable power plants by the end of the current government administration (August 2025).

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.

Earlier in April this year, the head of SATBA announced the construction of 110,000 solar power plants with a capacity of five kilowatts (KW) for low-income groups in the current Iranian calendar year (began on March 21).

Kamani also announced that the tender for the construction of solar power plants with a capacity of 2,200 megawatts, left over from the plan for the construction of solar power plants with 4,000 megawatts capacity in the past year, will be also held this year.

Regarding the follow-up of the construction of renewable power plants in the current year, the official said that a plan for the construction of renewable power plants was announced by the minister of energy at the beginning of the 13th government, and in 1401 (past Iranian year), the necessary preparations for the implementation of this plan have been followed up and some measures have been taken in this due.

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

EF/MA