Iran bringing on line first geothermal power plant in West Asia
Iran is finishing the construction of a first geothermal power plant in the West Asia region as the country moves ahead with plans to diversify its energy supplies.
Deputy CEO of Iran’s Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPH) said on Wednesday that the geothermal power plant in the northwestern province of Ardabil is 93% complete.
Mehran Golabkesh, who was touring the plant located 25 kilometers to the south of the city of Meshginshahr, said that a first pilot phase of the plant with a capacity to produce 5 megawatts (MW) of electricity will come on line until late March.
Golabkesh said the Iranian government had spent 3 trillion rials ($5 million) on the construction of the geothermal plant, saying it will have a total electricity generation capacity of 250 MW once it is completed.
He said the plant receives the heat energy it needs from several wells dug into a depth of 3,000 meters.
“The execution of this project allows our country to access the technology to discover, design, implement and use geothermal resources,” said the official.
Golabkesh said that the launch of the power plant near Meshginshahr is aimed at boosting the infrastructure in an area which is a major tourism center in northwest Iran.
A geothermal power plant uses the earth's own heat, instead of the heat produced from burning fossil fuels, to produce steam to spin electricity generation turbines.
Iran introduced a plan in 2021 to build 10,000 MW of new renewable capacity in four years. The country has built multiple solar plants and wind farms in the past three years.
Iran to open 6 GW of new power capacity by next summer
Iran rushing to supply more fuel to power plants amid cold spell
Iran declares holidays to curb energy demand
Spain jurists demand ties with Israel ties be cut
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | Iran honors top Science Olympiad medalists
VIDEO | Austrians arrested at Gaza protest in Vienna
10 killed in bus crash in western Iran
VIDEO | One-man-band journalism with Civili
5 Israeli forces killed as Palestinian fighters face up to regime’s war machine
VIDEO | An insider's view of the country: Persian Tahini, Royan in Mazandaran
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
