TEHRAN - Iran’s first geothermal power plant, with a production capacity of 5 megawatts (MW), has joined the national electricity grid. 
Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi announced on Thursday that the inauguration of the €10 million project in the city of Meshginshahr, in Ardabil Province, has enabled the country to acquire the knowledge and expertise needed for the exploration, design, construction, and use of geothermal resources.
The project draws from a proven geothermal reservoir with an estimated potential capacity of up to 250 MW, he added. In order to explore and extract the geothermal reservoir, several wells have been drilled to a depth of approximately 3,000 meters.
Aliabadi also said that the first phase of the Meshginshahr plant produces 5 MW of electricity while efforts are being made to increase that capacity, expand the entire exploration reservoir in the region, and develop geothermal power plants in other parts of Iran.
“The objectives of launching this project include expanding the use of renewable geothermal energy for electricity generation, acquiring the technology and expertise required to harness geothermal resources, localizing the technical knowledge needed for the sustainable management of geothermal reservoirs, and reducing dependence on fossil fuel resources,” he noted.