Iran will build a new 1,000-MW solar array in Qazvin, according to Mahmoud Kamani, Deputy Minister of Energy and head of Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organisation (SATBA), Mehr News Agency reported on July 17.

As part of Iran’s latest push into renewables, the official said that the upcoming Qazvin site will be the first of a series of so-called “Solar Parks" in the country. Also, he added that when fully operational the new site will effectively double renewable output in the country. 

The term “solar town” is defined in Iran as a new area situated outside a city which is populated with solar panels.

Speaking at the "Development of Renewable Energies in the Country's Industries" event in Tehran, Kamani said global investment in renewable energies had seen a considerable rise in recent years.

As per data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), for every dollar invested in fossil fuels, $1.7 are being poured into renewable energy this year, he said.

Kamani added that solar energy and electric vehicles (EVs) are leading the surge in investments for 2023 and Iran wanted to be part of the so-called “green transition.”

Debunking misconceptions about the high costs of renewable energy, the deputy minister stated that the most affordable electricity worldwide is generated significantly by wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) power plants.

Following the announcement on Qazvin, Kamani also unveiled plans for constructing solar power plants of up to 3 MW in other cities across the country.

Electricity generated will be sold to SATBA, offered on the green industrial electricity exchange board, or used to power cryptocurrency mining, he added.

He added that the rate for purchasing renewable electricity has been finalised and will be announced soon by the Minister of Energy.

In December 2020, MANA Energy PAK commissioned the first solar cell factory in the country, with an estimated 150 MW capable of being produced by the company each year.

The company also said it had been able to produce 1.2 GW of multi- and monocrystalline wafers per year, the component that generates the power in panels.

Earlier the country indicated that it could produce 5,000 MW of renewable energy from rooftop solar power as part of an industry-backed scheme, Shargh on October 17 reported the vice chairman of the country’s Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Renewable Energy Goods and Services (SATKA) as saying.