Environmental issues, renewable energy, cooperation in water and electricity and building power plants were discussed in a meeting between Iran's Energy Ministry Hamid Chitchian and Italy's Minister of Environment and Land and Sea Protection, Gian Luca Galletti, in Tehran on Monday.
"A memorandum of understanding was signed between Iran and Italy that calls for cooperation between the two country's research centers on environmental issues and renewables," Chitchian said, adding that the two sides can and should expand cooperation in the long run, IRNA said in a report. Galletti also hoped a final nuclear deal on Tehran's nuclear program would prepare the ground to expand energy ties. "Italy could build power plants in Iran once the sanctions are removed."
After eight days of marathon talks on Tehran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran and the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany) reached a framework agreement on April 2 that calls for lifting all trade sanctions against Iran, the details of which is to be finalized before a June 30 deadline.
The Italian official singled out climate change as the "common enemy" of all countries and underlined environmental protection as the joint objective of Iran and Italy. He said Italy is "morally committed to transferring knowledge" to other nations in the fields of pollution, wastewater treatment, green energ and waste recycling for power production.
He stressed that more than 50 percent of energy in urban areas is supplied from renewable energy sources – such as solar, wind and geothermal – while residents are encouraged to reduce energy consumption and save costs. The official also said power production from renewable sources could vary in different seasons, but on certain days, renewables account for nearly 65 percent of Italy's overall power output, the official noted.
Italy hast the second biggest geothermal complex in the world with a total capacity of 760 megawatts. Comprising 34 plants, the Larderello Geothermal Complex in Tuscany in central Italy accounts for 10 percent of all geothermal energy produced worldwide and caters for more than 25 percent of regional power needs.
