Iran’s Cumulative Solar Capacity Exceeds 300 MW

• Iran's total installed renewable energy capacity at April 2019 end reached 706 MW, according to SATBA
• Of this, solar's share was highest among renewables at 43% or 304 MW
• Wind power capacity was next with 41% share translating into more than 289 MW
• Enerdata says total installed power generation capacity of the country till April 2019 reached 80.5 GW

At the end of April 2019, Iran's cumulative installed renewable energy capacity totalled 706 MW, according to the country's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA). Solar power commanded the bulk of the RE capacity with a 43% share or total installed capacity of 304 MW.

End of December 2018, Iran's total renewable energy capacity was 670 MW; solar's share was 42% or 281 MW (see Iran Province Plans 1 GW Solar Project). This means in the first 4 months of 2019, Iran installed around 23 MW new solar.

Wind power comes next with 41% or over 289 MW installed by April 2019, followed by 92 MW of small hydropower, 14 MW of waste heat recovery (WHR) and 7 MW of biomass. Another 424 MW of renewable capacity is under construction currently in the form of 46 plants.

Market intelligence firm Enerdata says total installed power capacity of the country at the end of April 2019 was 80.5 GW. Combined cycle power plants account for 31% of the total, with pure gas-fired power plants contributing 30% and hydropower 20% of the total. Around 5 GW of renewables are expected to be developed in the next 5 years to meet the country's power demand.

Speaking at the 6^th Iran Wind Energy Conference on April 29, 2019, Seyed Mohammas Sadeghzadeh, SATBA Head and Deputy Minister of  Energy, said the renewable power plant capacity of the country had reached about 710 MW and will reach 800 MW by the peak of summer 2019.

On April 28, 2019, the country launched what it calls the 'largest solar power plant in Fars province' with a capacity of 10 MW in Abadeh city. It was constructed by Tamin Energy Bargh Iranian Company.