Iran kicks off operations on the first phase of a 300 MW solar plant

Iran kicked off operations on the first phase of a 300 MW solar energy farm in the country, the Fars News Agency reports. The initial phase of the project will cost IRR 40 bn (c. USD 945.3k) and span 700 square meters, with a generation capacity of 140 KW of solar power. The farm is expected to reach its full production volume in four years, the news agency quotes Deputy Minister Mahdi Farahi as saying.

Part of larger solar plans: Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (Satba) announced plans earlier this year to re-tender solar energy projects yielding 2.2 GW during the current Iranian fiscal year in a bid to expand net-zero power production. In July, Satba announced plans to build a 1 GW solar farm in Qazvin. From our neck of the woods, the UAE’s AJ Holdings signed an agreement back in 2021 with Iranian utility company Khuzestan Regional Electric Co. to build a 300 MW solar plant in the province of Khuzestan.

Big renewables targets: Iran’s renewables sector — which accounts for nearly 7% of the country’s total energy generation — relies mostly on solar, hydroelectric, and wind power plants to generate energy. Last year, Iran said it plans to add 10 GW of renewable capacity by August 2025. It also signed MoUs with the private sector last year to set up new renewable power plants across the country.