Wind turbines’ generators, gearboxes produced in Iran

TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) – Iranian knowledge-based companies funded by Vice-Presidency of Science and Technology have produced generators and gearboxes for wind turbines. A number of Iranian universities were also able to produce the raw materials needed for constructing rotor blades for wind turbines with the financial support of the Vice-Presidency of Science and Technology as well as the Office of Technology Development of Renewable Energies. The windfarms and the turbines have been developed in Iran in order to bypass the issue of sanctioned parts and materials needed for the turbines. The country’s first simulation of small hydro power plants was also developed with the help of researchers at Sharif University of Technology. The simulation has been installed in a hydropower plant in Azerbaijan Province and has shown good performance. A 20 kW fuel cell was also indigenously developed in Isfahan Province with the help of Vice-Presidency of Science and Technology and Renewable Energy Organization of Iran. The production of the full cell is considered as a great achievement for Iran, as fuel cell technology plays an important role in addressing the growing energy demand in the coming decades. In January, Iran announced plans to double its renewable energy output, by the end of current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2015), thus reaching 400 megawatts energy output by the year end. Iran’s power generation capacity currently stands at 68.38 gigawatts. The capacity has grown by 7 percent annually over the past 10 years. Energy Minister Chitchian also said that presently, Iran possesses the world’s 14th greatest electrical network, adding that by the operation of the first pumped-storage plant Iran achieves the ability to start or stop generating electricity in less than 30 second. The Islamic Republic currently exports electricity to Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan (including the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic), Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.