WANA (Aug 18) – Iran is preparing to break ground on a massive 5,000-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Isfahan, a mega-project aimed at surpassing the world’s current leaders in solar energy capacity, India and China.

 

Ebrahim Karimi, director of the energy desk at the Isfahan Governor’s Office, announced that construction on the facility will begin shortly.

 

According to the Governor of Isfahan, the facility is set to become the “world’s largest solar power plant”—a title currently held by India’s Bhadla Solar Park. Once operational, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to meet the monthly needs of roughly 10 percent of Iran’s population.

 

The initiative comes at a critical time for the nation’s energy sector. A recent study by the Islamic Parliament Research Center estimated Iran’s peak summer electricity deficit at approximately 13,600 MW. Officials expect the addition of this mega-plant to the national grid to effectively cut current power outages in half.

 

Backed by a $2.8 billion private sector investment, the development will span 6,000 hectares in the Kuhpayeh region of Isfahan. Construction will be executed across three distinct phases: two 2,000 MW packages and one 1,000 MW package.