Iran’s One-Month Renewable Electricity Generation

Iran’s renewable power plants generated over 89 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in the month to March 20, according to data released by Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA). Electricity generation from renewables in the said month led to economizing on the consumption of natural gas by 25 million cubic meters while saving 19 million liters of water and also prevented the emission of 57,000 tons of greenhouse gases, IRNA reported.

The capacity of Iran’s renewable power plants reached 920.260 megawatts (MW) in the said month, of which solar power plants with 452.75 MW had the biggest share.  Wind power plants with 317 MW of energy production stood in second place, followed by small hydropower plants with a generation of 105.65 MW and Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) by 15.1 MW.
The latest statistics provided by TAVANIR  shows that Iran power plant generated 343 b/KWH of electricity in 1399 (March 2020-21), marking a 5.1% hike compared to that of 1398 (March 2019-20).

Renewables, including hydropower, account for about 7% of the country’s total energy generation, versus natural gas’ 90% share. Overall, in the next four years, Iran is aiming for a 5,000MW increase in renewable capacity to meet growing domestic demand and expand its presence in the regional electricity market.

According to SATBA, the number of small-scale solar power plants across the country which are used by households or small industries is also increasing noticeably as Iranian households and small industries are embracing the new technology with open arms and investors also seem eager for more contribution in this area. Iran is also planning on expanding its presence in the region’s renewable energy market.

According to Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, the country has great potentials in the field of renewable energies and can have a significant role in developing the region’s market for such energies.
“Relying on the high potential of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass and geothermal, the Energy Ministry has planned measures in order to implement new policies for creating positive changes in the development of the country’s renewable energy sector,” Ardakanian has said. - IRNA, Tehran Times, Iran Daily