Construction starts on 100-MW solar park in Iran - report

German-Iranian firm Pasargad Solar Projects Ltd has launched the construction of the 10-MW first phase of a 100-MW solar park in Iran’s Yazd province, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said Tuesday.

The construction of the facility is part of an ambitious project for adding 500 MW of fresh solar capacity in the city of Meybod, said managing director Amir Eslamnezhad, as quoted by IRNA on Wednesday.

The first 10-MW portion of the 100-MW photovoltaic (PV) complex is expected to be connected to the grid by the end of the current fiscal year in March 2018. The remaining capacity should be up and running by March 2019.

The overall cost for the 10-MW phase has been estimated at USD 12 million (EUR 10.1m) which puts a USD 120 million price tag for the full, 100-MW capacity.

Pasargad Solar Projects Ltd, a unit of Germany-based Kronos Solar Projects GmbH, plans to work with domestic manufacturers to supply about 40% of the equipment for the solar project, according to the report.

The Iranian government is seeking to install 5,000 MW of new renewable energy capacity by 2020 under a plan to diversify its energy mix. At present, the country is highly dependant on fossil fuels.

As announced in September, London-based Quercus Investment Partners Ltd plans to invest in a 600-MW solar project in Iran that will be one of the largest in the world when completed.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.844)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!