Germany to build solar farms in Iran

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Iranian government and German company have shaken hands for cooperation in the renewable energy field.

Iran’s Ministry of Energy signed an agreement with a German company to build 1,250 megawatts of solar energy projects in the Islamic Republic’s latest move to green its energy supply chain.

Ali Barband, head of the Tehran electricity distribution company said on November 9 that under the deal, Germans will build several solar farms in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan, without naming the foreign firm, Press TV reported.

Following the Iran nuclear deal German companies plans to build power plants in the Islamic Republic.

The plan for Tehran is to build 500 megawatts of solar projects, including 150 MW in Kahrizak, 200 MW in Varamin and 150 MW in Malard.

Tasnim news agency quoted Barband as saying that a further capacity for 750 megawatts of photovoltaic energy will be installed in central Isfahan and northwestern Tabriz.

He added that it was decided that the issue of land acquisition for construction of the plants is determined soon, after which a 20-year agreement for guaranteed purchase of power will be signed with the Germans.

Iran and Germany signed in August a document for generation of 100 megawatts of wind power plus 400 MW of solar in the southern Khuzestan province.

Iran's total potential for producing solar and wind energy is estimated to be around 40 million and 100,000 megawatt hours. The country's power generation capacity is currently over 70 gigawatts.

It currently trades power with Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.

Iran is now the world's 14th biggest owner of solar power plants, according to the Iranian media.

The Islamic Republic cooperates with foreign companies on construction of the wind farms.

German companies are also reportedly about to begin building wind farms in Iran at a cost of $331 million next year.

The government plans to install 5,000 MW of renewable capacity. Iran’s energy ministry is already implementing 500 MW wind converters and further 100 MW biomass projects.

Iran’s renewable energy potential is huge, where only the wind capacity is estimated at 30,000 megawatts.