Iran in new renewables push

Tehran is stepping up its solar and wind power drive to offset gas and hydropower shortages

Scepticism around the purportedly peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear programme is born partly of the assumption that ownership of the world’s second-largest gas reserves renders the need for nuclear power incredible. However, regular peak-time blackouts—this summer’s have been some of the worst—and choking air pollution in major cities as gas-fired plants are forced to burn fuel oil testify to the strains in the system. Meanwhile, the government is desperate to free up for export some of the huge volumes of gas absorbed by heavily subsidised and correspondingly profligate local electricity consumption. Non-hydro renewables, now increasingly being pushed by the government, offer a far cheape