Iran has launched its first solar cell plant, as part of the government’s plans to considerably boost the percentage of renewable energy in the country’s power mix. Iran’s Energy Minister inaugurated a 150 MW solar factory in the central city of Khomein, pledging his complete support for the country’s solar industry.
Mana Energy Pak, based in Tehran, is in charge of the manufacturing. According to the company’s statement, it has also purchased a plant capable of producing 1.2 GW of multi- and monocrystalline wafers every year, however it does not specify where this factory is located. It also claims that it has been operating a 250 MW PV module production unit near Khomeini since early 2020. Further, the factory’s PV module capacity will be increased to 1.5 GW by the end of 2023 through additional phases already under construction.
Iran relies on oil and gas for the majority of its energy generation and has yet to meet a 5-percent renewables target set for the end of 2021. In November 2021, SATBA published a request for proposals for up to 10 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to be installed over the next four years. Earlier this month, the organisation announced that it had received more than 80 GW worth of bids.
REGlobal’s Views: This solar cell manufacturing unit is a significant milestone for Mana Energy Pak, as it is one of the few local manufacturers in the region. Such initiatives are expected to boost confidence in the local manufacturing space attracting more players in the solar sector as well as help secure Iran’s solar supply chains as it plans massive solar deployment in the future.
