Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.12
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
The Iranian private sector has inked deals with the country's Energy Ministry to produce 920 megawatts (MW) of renewable power.
Iranian energy minister Hamid Chitchian said on April 12 that the ministry inked the deals with the private sector in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, Iran's Fars news agency reported.
"Each kilowatt of renewable power saves a quarter liter of diesel as fuel in power plants," Chitchian added.
Iran will produce 500 MW of electricity from renewable energy sources in the current Iranian calendar year, Managing Director of Iran Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Management Company (TAVANIR) Homayoun Haeri said on Feb.26.
The head of Iran Electrical Industry Syndicate, Mohammad Parsa, said on Jan. 21 that Iran's private sector accounts for only 5 percent of the country's total electricity generation, the Iranian SHANA News Agency reported.
Iranian Deputy Minister Houshang Falahatian had previously said that the private sector's share is around 40 percent.
"Iran is now the world's 14th biggest owner of solar power plants," Haeri said in November.
"The country's total potential for producing solar and wind energy is estimated to be around 40 million and 100,000 megawatt hours," he said.
Iran is currently the biggest electricity producer in the Middle East.
Iran's total electricity generation currently stands at 70,000 megawatt hours.
Iran currently trades power with Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.
Iran seeks to become a major regional exporter of electricity and has attracted more than $1.1 billion in investments for the construction of three new power plants.