Deputy Energy Minister Homayoun Haeri on Thursday broke ground for a 50 megawatt wind farm in Mil-e- Nader zone in Zabol in Sistan-Baluchestan Province.
The farm will have 20 wind turbines and cost an estimated €60 million, ILNA reported.
The power output that will be sold to the Energy Ministry is expected to be synchronized with the national grid early next year.
With abundance of wind, Sistan-Baluchestan Province has great potential for producing electricity with wind turbines, Haeri said.
"Given its geographical proximity, harnessing wind power in the area can help generate 20,000 MW of power — one fourth of the total installed national capacity," he noted.
The distinct advantages notwithstanding, there is only 1 installed wind turbine in the region and a large part of the region’s electricity comes from plants from other provinces, he said and expressed the hope that the Zabol project would be completed on time.
The southern city borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, which could be potential destinations for power exports, the official said.
Three regions in the deprived province in the southern regions have been identified for developing renewable energy.
According to Mandana Zanganeh, head of the provincial department for attracting investment in Sistan-Baluchestan, Garaqeh, Mil-Nader and Ramshar have huge potential for renewable power production.
“Mil-Nader and Ramshar zones are attractive for investment in wind power, while Garaqeh is suitable for solar energy,” the official said.
Identifying the energy zones helps in removing some bureaucratic baggage and lessen cumbersome rules related to investments, such as allocation of land for the renewable plants, she added.
Sistan-Baluchestan is suitable for producing solar energy, with the northern areas particularly apt for creating large wind farms.
The share of renewables in Iran’s power production industry is 670 MW and senior energy officials have said that that volume would increase substantially as the government embarks on new projects to gradually curb the use of hydrocarbons.
Caption: Zabol wind farm power output is expected to be synchronized with the national grid early next year.
