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Operation start for Iran’s first geothermal plant now targeted for March 2021

Operation start for Iran’s first geothermal plant now targeted for March 2021 Project site of the 5 MW Sabalan project, Iran (source: Iranian Geothermal Energy Association)
Alexander Richter 18 Oct 2020

Iran's Energy Ministry announces that it expects Iran's first geothermal power plant to start operation in March 2021 with an initial capacity of 5 MW.

News from Iran report that construction for Iran’s first geothermal power plant are progressing with a current progress of 71%, according to Homayoun Haeri, Deputy Energy Minster.

The 5 MW geothermal plant is the first step of potentially further development to up to 50 MW. The Deputy Minister said the plant could be operational by  the end of March 2021.

According to Haeri, the necessary funding for the completion of the project has been allocated and the electricity generated by the power plant will be transmitted into the national grid in the current year, ILNA reported.

The project is located in Meshkin Shahr County in the northwestern Ardebil province, being developed by Thermal Power Plants Holding (TPPH).

The first stage of the plant development will feature a 5 MW turbine, while a total of 50 MW is targeted to be reached at later stages.

The overall investment for the project is estimated at around $40.4 million.

The plant is also to provide heating during the harsh winters in the region and cooling in the summer.

Source: Tehran News

Notes:  We have been reporting on the plant for a rather long time and announcements of the imminent start of the plant have been too frequent of the years. The turbine was transported to the site in 2016, and various reports on a potential start in 2017.