Iran targets solar with first silicon plant

Iran is pushing development of renewable energy, and plans to build its first silicon metal plant to supply solar panel manufacturers.

Most of Iran's electricity is generated by gas-fired plants. But it sees renewable energy as an area for growth and industrial development — with the country's climate making solar a particular focus.

Iran's solar capacity had increased to 365MW at the end of last year, and to 401MW by the end of February 2020, according to the energy ministry's renewable energy and energy efficiency organisation, Satba. That is up by 40pc from 286MW at the end of 2018 and up by 118pc from 184MW at the end of 2017, data from the International Renewable Energy Agency show.

"Following the development of renewable power plants, the process of supporting the localisation of this industry is ongoing and various equipment — such as wind turbines, solar inverters, crystalline photovoltaic modules and monitoring systems — have been produced by private companies," outgoing deputy energy minister and Satba head Sayed Mohammed Sadeghzadeh said.

Mining industry body Imidro has signed an agreement with a consortium of private-sector investors to build the country's first silicon metal plant by 2022 — Iran already produces ferro-silicon.

The 10,000 t/yr of metal produced at the $204mn plant will provide feedstock for the aluminium industry and silicon wafers and panels for the burgeoning solar industry, Imidro said.

The Iranian aluminium industry consumes around 5,000 t/yr of silicon and if it expands as Imidro envisages, consumption will double in the coming years. Seven companies in Iran's solar supply chain produce silicon wafers and solar cells, Imidro said.

Solar accounts for around half of Iran's renewable capacity, which the government is looking to increase to 5GW by the end of its sixth five-year development plan ending in 2021. The energy ministry launched a scheme in the six months to 19 March — A-B-Iran — to launch new water and electricity projects every week. In all, 31 energy projects launched in the period, and a further 40 are expected to launch in the three months to 20 June.

Satba is holding an auction that ends on 15 April to establish a guaranteed base rate for electricity generated from renewable installations with a capacity of 10-100MW. It increased feed-in tariffs in October to encourage investment and says 299 companies now have power purchase agreements for 2.7GW of solar capacity.

The government has designated the year 1399 — the year to 20 March 2021 in the Gregorian calendar — as "the year of production", with the goal of ramping up electricity, mining and industrial output.

By Nicole Willing