Iran’s English newspaper the Tehran Times reported on February 26 that about 415 PV generation units have entered operation in the country over the past two months. Their combined generation capacity reaches 2.4MW. This information was provided by the country’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA).
As of now, Iran has about 6,674 PV power stations in operation, and the country’s total renewable generation capacity has surpassed 920MW. Solar PV accounts for the largest share of the country’s renewable generation capacity, followed by wind energy.
The article from the Tehran Times said that number is growing for small-scale PV projects that power homes and small factories. Iranians are more receptive to renewable generation technologies than before, and there are renewable energy investors that want to take advantage of the rising opportunities in the country. Additionally, the Iranian government has initiated a program to set up PV power stations in rural and underserved communities. The electricity from these power stations can be sold back to SATBA under a 20-year PPA.
This January, Iran’s Energy Ministry signed an MOU with private entities for collaboration in the setup of renewable energy projects with a total generation capacity of 10GW. Like many other countries in the Middle East, Iran is now embracing energy transition. Currently, the main energy sources for electricity generation in the country are natural gas and hydropower. Nevertheless, there is a considerable potential in the development of a domestic PV industry. In December last year, the country’s first production facility for c-Si cells was inaugurated. The country’s PV enterprises are also actively building up production capacity for PV modules and upstream materials. Moreover, the article from Tehran Times stated that the Iranian government has set an “unprecedented” budget of US$115.8 million for the development of renewable energy during the next Iranian calendar year (that will begin on March 21).