Yazd, Alborz Expand Solar Footprint

Upon completion the plant will have generation capacity of 467 megawatts, the Energy Ministry reported.

An ISCC is a hybrid technology in which a solar thermal field is integrated within a combined cycle plant. In ISCC plants, solar energy is used as auxiliary heat supplier, supporting the steam cycle, which results in increased generation capacity or a reduction of fossil fuel use.

The unit in the central province is now generating electricity through two 159 MW gas units and a 132 MW steam unit. The solar section will add 17 MW to the output. 

Solar panels that will installed in the farm have been manufactured by domestic companies.

Another solar power station in same province will come online by the end of summer.

The 10 MW farm, located in Nir, a town in Taft County, will increase solar output to 68.5 MW from the current 58.5 MW,

The new photovoltaic power center when operational will annually generate 18,000 gigawatt hours.

There are currently seven solar power plants in the central and near permanently dry province. Twenty more solar projects with total capacity of 340 MW are in different stages of construction in Yazd. The new units are estimated to cost $16 million and will be completed by 2022.

Yazd has the highest solar power output in the country, and with 3,200 plus sunlight hours throughout the year, the ancient and historic city is highly suitable for harnessing solar power.

Eshtehard Solar Energy

Close to 2,800 hectares in Eshtehard City, Alborz Province, has been allocated for the construction of solar power plants, the city governor said.

“So far 15 companies have permits from the Energy Ministry to build solar farms, but work has not yet started,” Mohammad Kordi was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. He did not elaborate.

For generating one megawatt of solar power between 1.5 and 2 hectares of land will be provided to the companies. For example, if a company decides to construct a 10-MW solar farm, it will receive 15 to 20 hectares.

According to the governor, investment for generating each megawatt of solar energy is about $800,000.

Iran meets more than 80% of its electricity demand from thermal power plants using that run on fossil fuels. Of the total 84,000 MW production capacity, hardly 890 MWis from renewables.

However, the nation is taking measures to boost green energy and one of the goals of the government is to move toward non-fossil fuels and renewables.

Close to 4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity has been generated from alternative energy sources in the past 11 years, reducing water and fossil fuel consumption.

Based on official reports, green investment in Iran has surpassed $1.5 billion and created 20,000 jobs.