Iran Province Plans 1 GW Solar Project

• A solar power project with as much as 1 GW capacity is being planned for the city of Saveh in Markazi province of Iran, as reported by Mehr News Agency
• It will be funded by an unidentified UK based Iranian investor, and will be the country's 'largest-ever solar farm' as per the report
• Equipment and panels required for 100 MW of electricity have been imported already, confirmed Markazi provincial government

An unidentified UK-based Iranian investor is funding a solar power plant with a capacity of as much as 1,000 MW in Iran's Markazi province, according to a report by Mehr News Agency of Iran. It will be located near the city of Saveh on 2,000 hectare land and will be the 'largest-ever solar farm' in the country.

The news agency quoted Markazi province's deputy governor for economic affairs, Saeed Farrokhi who confirmed that equipment and panels required for harnessing 100 MW of electricity have so far been imported. The project was said to commence in the near future, but no other details were shared.

The last time a solar project of this scale was reported in the country was back in July 2018 when the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRMA) reported signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Italian consulting firm Denikon and state-owned Chinese Sinosteel Corporation to develop a solar power plant in Yazd city in Central Iran with a project capacity between 500 MW to 1,000 MW (see 1 GW PV Plant Planned In Iran). The two also plan to set up a solar panel factory.

At the end of December 2018, Iran's cumulative installed renewable energy capacity reached 670 MW, with solar accounting for 42% or 281 MW, according to the Ministry of Energy, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA).

The ministry also claims 445 MW of renewable capacity is already under construction, but does not specify the share of solar in this. The country wants to have 5 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2020. Of late, several announcements have been made about GW-scale solar power projects in the country, however, with the US having pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposing sanctions against the country, investors have been increasingly turning their back on Iran (see 600 MW Iranian PV Project In Jeopardy). Under these circumstances many solar projects will not be realized.