Launch of ‘Iran Abad’ campaign with inauguration of 305 projects
Minister: Innovation should ‘keep pace’ with smart tech era
The national “Iran Abad” campaign was launched on Monday, with Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi attending a ceremony to inaugurate vital water and power infrastructure projects across the country.
The campaign has so far brought into operation 305 major projects in the water and power sector as well as 854 solar power plants with a combined capacity of 5,000 megawatts, ISNA reported.
At the event, the implementation of 266 additional water and power projects also began. These projects cover various areas of water, electricity, and renewable energy, and are expected to significantly strengthen the country’s infrastructure.
At the unveiling ceremony of several electrical projects, Aliabadi highlighted the importance of “keeping pace with the era of smart technologies,” stressing the need for innovation and the adoption of new methods in the energy sector.
He noted that Iran must “appear on the global scale” and enter international markets, emphasizing that the country should not halt progress but rather “stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s leading players” in order to overcome challenges and make up for delays.
First Iranian F-class gas turbine unveiled
Also Monday, the first advanced Iranian-made F-class gas turbine was unveiled.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Aliabadi described the achievement as “an honor for all Iranians,” adding that it is the result of the hard work of the country’s young specialists.
The MGT-75 turbine incorporates cutting-edge technologies, including a three-dimensional axial compressor, single-crystal and directionally solidified blades, an advanced cooling system, and modern thermal barrier coatings. Delivering an output of 222 megawatts, the F-class turbine is equipped with a can-annular combustion system that reduces emissions and allows the use of both natural gas and hydrogen.
The achievement, Aliabadi noted, provides an effective solution for addressing energy imbalances, supporting the development of renewable energy, and meeting the present and future needs of Iran’s power industry. Attaining F-class turbine technology, he said, symbolizes the country’s industrial maturity and confidence in domestic expertise, while boosting its competitiveness in the energy sector.
Expanding renewable energy capacity
Aliabadi also announced that renewable energy projects will continue to be inaugurated on a weekly basis.
Addressing the role of energy storage systems in supporting renewables, he explained that numerous technical measures are required and that high volumes of renewable capacity cannot be integrated into the grid overnight. “We are gradually upgrading the network, and by the end of the year we expect to reach a significant capacity,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said the country had passed the peak demand period for this year’s electricity consumption, but the imbalance in supply and demand had not yet been fully resolved, urging consumers to continue cooperating in energy management.
Meanwhile, during a separate meeting on overcoming obstacles to the development of renewable power plants, President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored the strategic importance of securing energy supplies. He described electricity generation as one of the country’s top priorities, stressing that large-scale renewable energy projects must be implemented through sound resource management, without placing additional pressure on foreign currency reserves, and with the full cooperation of investors.
The president further emphasized the need for participation from industrial and manufacturing units in the development of renewable energy. He stated that industrial towns and production centers “must be required to supply part of their electricity needs through solar panels and allocate a defined share of their energy consumption to this sector.”