Iran opens 61MW wind farm as it looks to renewables to meet electricity demand

Iran has opened its largest wind farm as it hopes to procure electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydro it has emerged.

The 18 turbine wind farm in Tarom county in northern Iran has a generating capacity of 61 megawatts (MW) hours of power annually and cost 86 million euros, the country’s official news agency has said.

“The wind farm has been built in one year, using the latest technology in the world, at a cost of 86 million euros,” the report from the country’s energy ministry said.

The news agency added that Iran has one of the most comprehensive plan to harness renewables in the Middle East, and more than 250 companies have signed agreements to add and sell power from about 5,000 MW of new renewables in Iran.

Among them is Dutch energy firm Global Renewables Investments (GRI), which is about to build solar and wind farms that could produce up to 1,700 MW of electricity. Also, Norway’s Saga Energy is building a 2,000 MW of new solar energy which would cost 2.5 billion euros.

UK renewables investor Quercus, however, halted earlier this month a deal worth over half a billion euros to build and operate a 600 MW solar farm in Iran.

The country currently has 400 MW of renewable capacity in place and is advanced in its development of renewable energy in the Middle East, mostly due to its past investments in hydro schemes.

Iran is also pushing the envelope on its green fleet efforts to establish other greener capacities, ranging from wind power to solar farms and burning biomass and waste to heat homes.

According to Homayoun Haeri, Iranian deputy energy minister, Iran’s renewable energy capacity will grow to 1,000 MW by March 2019.