Iran plans to add 5 GW of PV and wind power by 2018

On May 8, Iran’s Minister of Energy Ha Chitchian announced to numerous renewable energy experts and representatives at the Iranian Embassy in Germany that Iran has formulated ambitious plans to actively develop the renewable energy sector. On the same day, representatives of the renewable energy sector had an open and dynamic dialogue with Iran’s energy policymakers. According to Chitchian, Iran plans to increase the installed capacity of photovoltaic and wind power to 5 GW by 2018.

At the conference, Iranian Ambassador to Germany Ali Reza Sheikh Attar delivered a speech on the theme of "Iran's Sustainable Renewable Energy Future Feasible Goals". He pointed out that since the launch of the plan in January this year, Iran has broken ground on a total of 400 megawatts of solar projects, and the total scale of renewable energy project contracts (signed) has reached 900 megawatts.

is booming

During the demonstration, the Iranian delegation pointed out that it is of great significance for residential users to adopt more renewable energy projects from the perspective of environmental protection and economy. Chitchian has always been keen to establish a closer dialogue with Western investors in order to meet the country's growing electricity demand. Currently, Iran’s power grid generates 70 GW. As the economy continues to develop and customers' energy consumption continues to grow (currently the highest subsidy rate for electricity in Iran is as high as US$0.02 per kilowatt), Iran’s new electricity demand is expected to reach 5 GW each year.

In order to meet this growing demand, wind power has joined Iran’s renewable energy sector, which has been dominated by large hydropower stations. However, Chitchian claimed that Iran is implementing an energy transition, and the focus is increasingly on sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Solar power generation has great potential in the future. At present, Iran's renewable energy production capacity has reached 11 GW. Faced with a question about “Iran’s photovoltaic power generation still accounts for a low proportion”, Chitchiian said that he will increase the ratio of photovoltaic production capacity to the total production capacity of renewable energy projects.

In order to assist Iran in this ambitious plan, the minister launched a five-year FIT subsidy policy: starting in 2014, a subsidy of 4,442.00 riel (US$0.15) per kilowatt-hour for renewable energy. However, individual representatives believe that the period of the policy is too short, but Carsten Halle, vice president of marketing and sales at Trunsun Solar Europe GmbH, pointed out that Iran’s solar radiation intensity is high and the cost of producing solar power is relatively low. For customers and the government, implementation The FIT policy has positive significance. According to Chitchian, the Iranian government has provided subsidies of half the maximum installation cost to residential users who install photovoltaic arrays.

open conversation

Halle said that in the next three weeks, Trunsun Solar Europe will provide solar equipment to a 25 MW module plant in Iran. Chitchian added that there are currently a small number of photovoltaic manufacturers operating in Iran, but a solar wafer factory has been closed. German company Sanavi revealed that the company intends to enter the Iranian solar market by supplying support structures.

At the meeting, several representatives emphasized Iran’s potential to create a more decentralized power system, and suggested that the country develop a more renewable-friendly power grid to avoid large-scale centralized coal-fired power plants, which often affects other countries’ renewable energy plans. Negative Effects.

The Minister of Energy of Iran seems to "accept all opinions". In his closing speech, he reiterated that environmental issues should be effectively combined with economic realities to jointly promote Iran's move towards a more decentralized renewable energy future.