Iran plans 5,000-MW solar plant in Isfahan, aiming for world’s largest

Tehran - BORNA - Ebrahim Karimi, head of the energy desk at the Isfahan Governor’s Office, said groundbreaking for the project would take place soon.

The planned facility will be developed in Kouhpaye, Isfahan, across an area of about 6,000 hectares and will involve an estimated $2.8 billion in private-sector investment.

According to the announced plan, the project will be implemented in three packages, comprising two 2,000-MW phases and one 1,000-MW phase.

Isfahan Governor Mehdi Jamalinejad has said the facility would become “the world’s largest solar power plant” once completed.

India and China currently host some of the world’s largest solar power facilities, while Iranian officials say the 5,000-MW Isfahan project would surpass them in installed capacity.

Local officials estimate that the plant could supply electricity equivalent to around 10 percent of Iran’s monthly demand once fully operational.

The project is also expected to make a significant contribution to reducing Iran’s electricity deficit.

The Iranian Parliament Research Center has estimated the country’s electricity shortfall during peak summer demand this year at around 13.6 gigawatts.

Based on that estimate, officials say bringing 5 GW of new solar generation onto the grid could substantially reduce the scale of power outages, potentially cutting them by around half.

Iran has accelerated investment in renewable energy in recent years as it seeks to address recurring electricity shortages and expand the role of solar power in its national energy mix.

If implemented according to the announced specifications, the Isfahan project would represent one of Iran’s largest-ever renewable energy investments and place the country among the leading developers of utility-scale solar power.

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