VP Talks of Schemes for Promoting Renewables

Elham Aminzadeh, the vice president for legal affairs, said Iran has set laws and regulations to raise significantly the share of renewable sources in the country's energy mix which presently is hardly 0.3% of total installed power capacity.

Addressing an international conference on renewables in Tehran, Aminzadeh said, "The establishment in keen to diversify energy sources and raise electricity output from renewables.

"It is stipulated that 10% of Iran's total power output should come from renewables, including wind and solar, by 2025," Aminzadeh was quoted as saying by IRNA on Monday.

Around 62,000 MW, or 80% of Iran's 75,000-MW output, is generated from thermal plants that burn fossil fuels. In addition, 12,000 MW comes from hydroelectric plants and 1,000 MW from the sole nuclear power plant in Bushehr while installed capacity for all forms of renewables hardly accounts for 250 MW.

The official said one measure to revive the long-disregarded renewable industry is to prepare the way for households to install solar panels on rooftops.

"Those who use solar panels will be able to sell their excess electricity output from renewable technology to the national power grid," she said.

According to the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran, the plan will help consumers to cut expenses for electric power by selling each kilowatt-hour of their solar power in exchange for the heavily subsidized price of 600 rials, or less than 2 cents.

The plan is aimed at integrating the electric output from small photovoltaic panels into the local and national power grids.

"Unfortunately the share of fossil fuels in energy production is far more than that of renewables," the vice president noted.

But Iran is taking meaningful steps to close the gap. At the Paris Climate Conference last year, Iran committed to producing at least 7,500 MW from renewable energies by 2030 as part of efforts to curb its greenhouse gases emissions.

Iran was among the 195 nations that signed the Paris Agreement to move away from fossil fuels with a goal of limiting a rise in average global temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

  Difficult Path

However, the authorities say Iran is facing impediments to stick to its lofty energy and environmental goals.

Massoumeh Ebtekar, vice president and head of the Department of Environment, told AFP last month that the West's failure to fully implement the nuclear deal and lift sanctions is endangering Iran's efforts to meet climate targets.

With Iran still facing difficulties in reintegration with the global banking system because of continuing United States sanctions, she said commitments for a 12% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 were at risk. According to Hamid Chitchian, the energy minister, Iran needs to invest at least $12 billion to meet its goal of producing 7,500 MW from renewables.