First phase of Iran’s largest solar plant comes online in Isfahan Province
The first phase of Iran's largest solar power plant with a capacity of 120 megawatts started operations in Kuhpayeh, Isfahan Province, with President Masoud Pezeshkian virtually in attendance.
The world's 25th largest solar power plant, aiming to produce 600 megawatts of solar electricity, was inaugurated via video conference attended by Pezeshkian and Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Mohammad Atabak.
Addressing the ceremony, the minister emphasized that 'Eastern Sunshine' solar power plant, spanning 1,200 hectares and considered one of the key projects in developing the country's clean energy, is a significant step towards reducing fossil fuel consumption and increasing the share of renewable energy in Iran's power grid, according to IRNA.
Atabak said that the domestically manufactured status of 40% of the power plant's equipment is "a testament to the country's technical and engineering capabilities in the renewable energy sector, which can pave the way for cost reduction and increased competitiveness in similar projects."
Emphasizing the strategic importance of the Eastern Sunshine solar power plant project, the minister stated, "The inauguration of this plant is a significant step towards achieving sustainable development goals, energy security, reducing environmental pollution, and creating the necessary infrastructure for a greener future."
Atabak described this project as an outstanding example of industry-environment coordination and stressed, "The over 60 million Euro investment in the first phase of this plant” by the private sector not only indicates “the forward-looking approach of the country's major industries but also proves that this sector can play a decisive role in developing clean energy infrastructure."
"The extensive participation of knowledge-based companies, consulting engineers, and domestic contractors in implementing this plan, besides reducing reliance on foreign technologies, has provided the ground for sustainable employment in the field of new energy," he added.
Referring to the economic and social dimensions of the project, the minister stated that the power plant has led to direct and indirect job creation in the region and will be a driver for infrastructural, economic, and even tourism development in the host province.
The project has created employment for 3,000 individuals during construction and 70 individuals in the first phase of operations.
The solar power plant, featuring tracker technology for increased energy production (receiving solar energy from direct radiation onto the panel surface and reflection from the ground onto the panel back), prevents the emission of one million tons of greenhouse gas CO2 annually.
The final phase of the major project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the Iranian year 1405 (March 2027). Upon full commissioning, the country's solar power capacity will increase by 30 percent.