Amir Abbas Hosseini, the head of Ghadir Energy Investment Company, made the statement at the inaugural ceremony of Kushk Solar Power Plant in Kushk Rural District of Khatam County, Yazd Province, which was synchronized with the national power grid on Tuesday, ISNA reported.
“Photovoltaic energy is an unlimited and a CO2-free energy source, so it can and should make a key contribution to Iran’s energy mix that is totally dependent on fossil fuels,” he said.
“Ghadir Energy Investment Company completed the 10-megawatt solar farm in 10 months at an estimated cost of $6 million.”
According to the official, plans are in place to build solar farms with a capacity of 800 MW over the next four years on condition that the Energy Ministry paves the way for the investors. He did not provide details.
Spread over 20 hectares, Kushk solar farm generates 20 million kilowatt hours of electricity per annum.
The farm includes 27,000 photovoltaic panels made by China’s LONGi Solar, an international manufacturer of high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells and modules, and 85 inverters manufactured in SMA Solar Technology AG, a German solar energy equipment supplier.
Hosseini said that at present, there are 10 solar power stations in Yazd with a total capacity of 81.5 MW.
The privately-owned Ghadir Energy Investment Company, established in 1991, has developed solar farms in Qom and Isfahan as well as Mehriz County in Yazd.
Solar power is a clean, abundant and increasingly competitive source of renewable energy. Solar radiation in Iran is estimated to be about 1,800 to 2,200 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter annually, which is higher than the global average.
Studies show investments in renewable energy are profitable. Therefore, the Energy Ministry plans to raise annual renewable energy output to 10,000 MW in eight years with the participation of private companies.
The sun provides more than enough energy to meet the whole world’s energy needs, and unlike fossil fuels, it won’t run out anytime soon. As a renewable energy source, the only limitation is a region’s exposure to solar power before it could be harnessed to supply electricity in an efficient and cost-effective way.
After solar panels have been installed, operational costs are quite low compared to other forms of power generation.
Since fuel is not required for generating solar power, such farms can create large volumes of electricity without the uncertainty and expense of securing fuel supply.