Following efforts by the Energy Management Department of Khuzestan Regional Electricity Company to attract foreign direct investments, four German investors have embarked on construction of wind farms with 250 megawatts of power generation capacity in Abadan and Bandar Mahshahr in the southern Khuzestan Province.
The project has been worked out based on studies by the Lahmeyer Group, a leading international engineering company that offers a broad range of planning and consultancy services primarily on infrastructure projects in energy, hydropower, water, construction and transportation sectors, Tasnim News Agency reported.
"Given Khuzestan's climate, renewable energy can be taken advantage of via wind farms and solar power plants to meet a great part of energy demand for home and industrial subscribers in the region," said company CEO, Mahmoud Janqorban, during a conference in Ahvaz to discuss the project.
According to the official, the initial proposal by the investing delegation also includes construction of a photovoltaic and a solar thermal power plant each having a 20-megawatt capacity, and a clean and renewable energy education center.
The project would turn the region into the second biggest hub for combined renewable energy in the Middle East after Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, which provides real-world solutions to issues of sustainability.
"The investing delegation has moved according to schedule until now and the first phase of the project will begin in late April, 2016," Janqorban said.
World-renowned German farmer, businessman and investor in wind power, Dirk Ketelsen, instructor at Humboldt-University of Berlin, Frank Riesbeck, and expatriate Shahnaz Dastforush, who is the chairman of the board of directors at Iran–Germany Friendship Association, are among the investors.
Janqorban said measures taken so far include establishing and registering Arvand Biological Development Company in Arvand Free Trade Zone in cooperation with the investing party, obtaining a research permit from the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran, obtaining a license to build a renewable energy power plant from Energy Ministry's Privatization Office for Electric Industry, conducting feasibility studies in cooperation with Lahmeyer Group, grid integration studies for 25.47 megawatts of energy projected for the first phase and soil mechanics studies, concluding the initial purchase contract, and installing equipment with German companies.
Iran needs to generate 5,000 MW of renewable energies by 2015 as stipulated in the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2011-16).
