Solar plants post 62% growth in power generation record
Iran’s solar power plants registered a new production record of 1,658 gigawatts/hour during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year, began on March 21, showing a 62% rise compared with the same period last year.
According to the data cited by IRNA, the increasing trend has further lowered environmental pollutants and contributed to sustainable energy development goals in the country.
The Pezeshkian’s government aims to install 30,000 MW of non-fossil capacity over the next three years amid an expected power shortfall next year. According to the Energy Ministry, the country is expected to face a power shortfall of between 17,000 and 20,000 megawatts next year.
The government has also urged manufacturers to step up investment in solar power. About 60% of the total electricity used by industrial subscribers during the past month was outsourced from distribution companies and regional power firms, according to Iran’s Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Company (Tavanir).
21% growth in clean energy output
According to the Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation Monitoring Center, Iran’s installed clean energy production has reached 2,759 gigawatts/hour during the first nine months of the year, indicating a 21 percent rise in the same period last year.
Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) has said that 318 renewable power plants are active in the country’s electricity market.
Within the renewable energy mix, solar power with the power generation of 1,658 gigawatts/hour represents 66%, grid-connected distributed generation plants account for 15%, and wind farms with the power production of 869 gigawatts/hour make up 14%. Small hydroelectric plants contribute 4%, while biomass and expansion turbine plants each account for 1%. The report added that, expansion turbine plants have produced 30 gigawatts/hour electricity during the nine months. Despite recent growth, renewables still account for only 3.2% of Iran’s total electricity generation capacity of around 97,909 MW. Also, current nuclear power generation capacity stands at around 1,000 megawatts with the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran.