The first phase of the largest Iranian solar farm in Mahallat, Markazi Province, with a capacity of 120 megawatts of electricity, will become operational in September, Arak’s governor general said.
“Being built on 500 hectares near the city of Mahallat, the photovoltaic [PV] station will help stabilize power supply in the industrial region,” Farzad Mokhles was also quoted as saying by ISNA.
Started in March, the plan is expected to come on stream in less than a month.
“Equipment and panels needed to produce 25 MW [of the total 120 MW capacity] are in place and the farm will be linked to the national power grid soon.”
In a push toward achieving carbon neutrality, Iran’s first photovoltaic cell and panel manufacturing company was opened in Khomein County, Markazi Province, last month.
Completed by the private sector, Mana Energy Pak Company, the plant’s first phase was launched on a 5,000-square meter land with a capacity of 500 megawatts of solar panels per year.
The firm’s annual production capacity of manufacturing multi-crystalline solar cells will triple (1,500 MW) in the second phase. It operates three shifts 24/7 with a total workforce of 100 engineers and operators.
“Keen on following global trends in the solar sector, the company is in constant contact with pioneering institutes in this regard,” Mokhles said.
The company is also setting up a multi-crystalline wafer unit that will enable the plant to produce 1,200 MW multi- and mono-crystalline wafers annually.
Mana Energy Pak Company is also developing a 120-MW solar farm in Mahallat County.
Energy demand is expected to increase considerably in the coming years, particularly in developing countries as a result of population growth, economic development and rapid urbanization.
This has necessitated a shift away from traditional fossil fuels to alternative renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
“Renewable energy is the most cost-effective compared to all other traditional sources of power generation,” Jafar Mohammadnejad Sigaroudi, spokesman of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization, said.
The cost of producing each kilowatt hour of electricity from fossil fuel is 30 cents, whereas generating the same from green sources costs three times less.
The speed at which renewables have become cost-effective is staggering. The cost of generating power from non-fossil fuels is also bound to decline further in the near future, given technological breakthroughs and increasing investments.
Iranian policymakers have emphasized the need for expanding renewable energy to increase energy security and reduce dependence on hydrocarbons.
Iran enjoys a wide diversity in climate and the arid regions. The central, southern, northwestern and southeastern regions have around 300 sunny days per year and are uniquely suitable for solar energy production.
Renewable energy produced in Iran now is 980 MW. Renewable energy has resulted in the direct and indirect employment of 43,600 people and non-governmental investment in the sector has crossed $2.4 billion.
