Renewables Cut Greenhouse Gases in Iran by 3.6 Million Tons

The use of renewable energy has reduced the emission of greenhouse gases by 3.6 million tons in the country during the past calendar month (September 23-October 22), according to the latest statistics released by the Renewable Energies and Electricity Efficiency Organization (SATBA). The amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources reached 5.4 billion kWh during the past month. The amount of savings in fossil fuel consumption reached 1.5 million tons, equivalent to one million cubic meters of natural gas. Moreover, renewable energy use has saved 1,203 million liters of water. The capacity of Iran's renewable power plants and electricity efficiency reached 838.19 MW over the last month, of which solar energy with 405.56 MW holds a share of 48% of the total.

Iran has in place legislation obliging the Ministry of Energy to increase the share of renewables and clean power plants to at least 5% of the country's capacity until the end of 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. In 2018, Iran's CO2 emission was 579 tons, which is 283.42% more than the amount generated in 1990.

The latest data show that the drastic curtailment of global economic activity and mobility during the first quarter of 2020 pushed down global energy demand by 3.8% relative to the first quarter of 2019.

If lockdowns last for many months and recoveries are slow across much of the world, as is increasingly likely, annual energy demand will drop by 6% in 2020, wiping off the last five years of demand growth. Such a decline has not been seen for the past 70 years. If efforts to curb the spread of the virus and restart economies are more successful, the decline in energy demand could be limited to under 4%. However, a bumpier restart, disruption to global supply chains, and the second wave of infections in the second part of the year could curtail growth even further. - Tehran Times