Denmark seeks to develop renewable energy industry in Iran

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian has announced an offer by Denmark to develop renewable energy industry in Iran and build a wind-turbine manufacturing factory in the country.

Chitchian made the announcement following his Monday meeting with visiting Danish Foreign Minister Christian Jensen at the Energy Ministry.

“The Danes have offered investment for the construction of a wind-turbine manufacturing factory in Iran so that they can export their products via our country to the region,” IRNA quoted the Iranian minister as telling reporters after the meeting.

Chitchian further said the Danish delegation meeting sought to find ways of investing in Iranian water and power industries.

He also spoke of a ‘very good understanding’ between the two sides of cooperation in different sectors of renewable energy.

Back in June, the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran (SUNA) said it would buy dozens of wind turbines for power generation.

More than 200 wind turbines are currently operating in Manjil in northern Iran, which generated 300 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power last year.

The southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province is the primary candidate site for new turbines, with other places also being considered as likely locations for establishing a wind farm.

Apart from Sistan-Baluchestan, Iranian provinces of Azabaijan as well as Qazvin, Semnan and Khorasan are ideally positioned to set up wind parks, officials say.

Iran is the biggest generator of electricity in the Middle East, and reportedly produced 277 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of power last year.

The country mainly operates hydroelectric, gas and combined cycle power plants but it plugged its first nuclear power plant into the national grid in September 2011.

It has also dabbled in a few solar and thermal power generation projects.