Iran inaugurated a project to build the largest solar power plant in the Middle East.
The construction of the power plant kicked off on Thursday in a ceremony attended by Iran's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian in the southcentral province of Kerman.
The 100-megawatt solar power plant, which is located between the cities of Kerman and Bam, calls for an investment of $140 million.
In April, Iran launched its biggest solar plant near the central city of Isfahan. The project, which took seven months to complete, was constructed jointly by Iran's Ghadir Electricity and Energy Company and Greece's Metka engineering firm.
Iran is heavily dependent on natural gas and oil to generate power and one of the most energy-intensive countries in the world because government subsidies for fossil fuels encourage inefficient energy use.
Iran is seeking 5,000 MW of renewable energy by 2020, with more than 4,000 MW expected to come from wind power. The country has approximately 141 MW of installed wind power.
