First fully domestically developed 2-MW wind turbine connected to national grid
Iran has connected its first fully domestically developed 2-megawatt wind turbine to the national electricity grid, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Wednesday, describing the project as the result of 300,000 person-hours of specialized engineering work.
The turbine was connected to the national grid on Tuesday after the successful completion of mechanical installation and the resolution of technical challenges, Aliabadi said, according to IRNA.
He said the project was not based on reverse engineering, adding that the turbine’s technical know-how had been developed entirely by Iranian researchers and that it had been developed for production based on the country’s climatic conditions.
“Currently, supplementary measures are under way to stabilize its performance, and it is expected that in the coming days, the turbine will strengthen the country’s electricity generation mix at its full rated capacity,” Aliabadi said.
The minister said the project, which began at the Power Research Institute in 2010, was strategic because the turbine had been designed from the ground up using domestic capabilities.
Aliabadi said more than 450 specialists had worked on the project at different stages, putting in 300,000 person-hours to develop manufacturing documents and technical know-how. He said the project was multidisciplinary and that the technical know-how had been developed based on Iran’s climate and weather conditions rather than through reverse engineering.
Iran is experiencing energy shortages, and the government has set a target of installing 30,000 MW of renewable energy capacity within the next two years to help reduce daily power shortages and improve the long-term stability of electricity supplies.
Hamidreza Azimi, deputy head of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), said on Monday that the country’s renewable power generation capacity had surpassed 6,000 MW, with more than 5,400 MW coming from solar power plants.
Azimi said the country’s solar power capacity had increased more than sevenfold over the past two years.
According to the Energy Ministry, the country’s installed power generation capacity has risen from 93,388 MW at the beginning of the government to 102,000 MW, an 8% increase.
The Energy Ministry announced in August that it had added 2,028 MW of new power generation capacity since March 21, achieving 75% of its target for the current Persian calendar year, which began on March 21.