Iran inaugurated its largest solar power plant on Tuesday, marking a significant step in the country's efforts to expand renewable energy and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. The 95-megawatt facility, located near Shamsabad Industrial Town southeast of Tehran—the nation’s largest industrial zone—was opened in a ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
The solar plant, comprising two units of 63 MW and 32 MW, was built on a 147-hectare site in less than nine months. It is designed to supply a portion of the industrial town’s electricity demand during peak daytime consumption, addressing the region’s energy needs and contributing to the stability of the power grid.
President Pezeshkian emphasized the government's commitment to supporting domestic solar panel manufacturing, pledging unrestricted support for investors in this sector. He highlighted the importance of improving land use and combining solar power projects with agricultural activities, such as cultivating medicinal plants and utilizing water from panel cleansing processes. The administration aims to generate 30,000 MW from renewable energy sources within the next two years, a substantial increase from the current installed renewable capacity, which has recently reached approximately 6,000 MW, with solar power accounting for over 80 percent of that total.
Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi noted that renewable energy initiatives would be intensified, supported by technological advancements and government facilitation of project financing and infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of household-scale power plants as part of the broader strategy toward energy self-sufficiency and national security considerations, referring to this approach as a component of passive defense.
Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati announced that the bank is prepared to provide both foreign currency and rial-denominated support for renewable energy investments. Hemmati stated that the Central Bank has allocated $1.7 billion toward these projects to reduce Iran’s reliance on fossil fuels and advance clean energy development, particularly emphasizing the potential for domestic solar panel production.
Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadeq Motamedian noted that under President Pezeshkian’s government, which took office in August 2024, the city’s solar capacity had increased twentyfold from 23 MW to 400 MW, reflecting the growing public and private sector engagement in renewable energy.
With the inauguration of this plant and the simultaneous launch of 600 MW of solar-generated electricity nationwide, Iran continues to pursue its goal of diversifying its energy mix and mitigating daily power shortages, aiming to ensure more reliable electricity supply especially for industrial consumers. The government’s strategy includes enhancing energy efficiency through better management, planning, and prioritizing renewable sources to support long-term energy stability.