The sixth solar power plant in Hamedan Province has been synchronized with the national power grid.
Located in Beshik Tappeh village in Kabudarahang County, the plant has a capacity of 7 megawatts, and was built by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Company (SATBA), a subsidiary of the Energy Ministry. The German Company Athos Solar GmbH invested $9 million in the project, SATBA reported.
The plant will generate 14,000 megawatts per hour of electricity per annum, helping reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses. If the same amount of energy was to be produced by a thermal power plant, 9600 tons of carbon dioxide would burn annually.
Likewise, the plant will save consumption of fossil fuels (3.95 million cubic meters) and water (3,060 cubic meters).
In line with policies to boost renewables, so far six large solar power plants with a capacity of 45.4 MW and more than 22 rooftop photovoltaic power stations have been installed in Hamedan, 330 kilometers west of Tehran. The German company has built other plants in the province.
Renewables have a small share in Iran's power industry that is mainly based on fossil fuels. Only 670 megawatts of the total 82,000 installed capacity is produced via renewable sources.
Energy experts say there is no bigger and more sustainable energy source than the sun. That is why an increasing number of countries in the developing world are investing in large-scale solar plants.
According to Energy Ministry data, plans are in place to invest $3 billion in renewable power in the near future as the government embarks on projects to increase renewable power to 7,500 MW by 2030.
