News in Brief
Iran’s Defense Ministry builds solar power plants
Iran’s Ministry of Defense has successfully initiated the first phase of its 300-megawatt solar power supply project. This endeavor aims to utilize clean electricity and protect the environment.
During the opening ceremony, Commander Mehdi Farahi, the deputy minister of defense, highlighted the ministry’s social responsibilities in terms of environmental protection and reducing air pollution, ISNA reported.
He stated that in order to fulfill these duties, the ministry has planned to establish renewable power plants including solar and wind facilities. Farahi further explained that a four-year plan has been devised for generating 300 megawatts of electricity through solar power plants. The initial portion of the plan was inaugurated on Tuesday, August 8.
The first phase of the project encompasses an area spanning 700 square meters, with a capacity of 140 kilowatts.
firefighters tackling blaze in southern Portugal
The Guardian – Hundreds of firefighters are scrambling to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that has scorched thousands of hectares of land and led to the precautionary evacuation of about 1,400 people.
The wildfire, which is being tackled by more than 800 firefighters, started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira in the Alentejo region but has since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations.
High temperatures and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames, which have destroyed about 6,700 hectares of land. José Ribeiro, commander of the emergency and civil protection authority, said weather conditions were expected to remain a challenge.
Shortly before sunset on Monday, the sky in Odemira turned dark as a huge smoke cloud filled the air.
Odemira’s mayor, Hélder Guerreiro, called the situation “critical, difficult and complex” while Ribeiro said there was a “lot of work” ahead to bring the wildfire under control.