Page 46 - IRANRptFeb19

temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius.
The government is under increasing pressure to get as many alternative forms of power generation as possible online, with several projects involving working in conjunction with foreign companies.
During the summer, Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said 27 power plant projects, worth IRR70tn (around €1.5bn), would be inaugurated by the summer of 2019.
Hydroelectric power in Iran has come under increasing scrutiny from environmental campaigners due to the impact on surrounding valleys and farming downstream. Water levels at several dams have fallen by 30% on average with the worst affected being around cities like Tehran.
Meanwhile, Iran currently draws roughly 53 MW of power from solar generation, energy ministry data shows. It is attempting to add 932 MW in the next few years in line with deals signed already.
In a bid to grow the renewables industry in the country, Iran has signed several agreements with European, Asian and African solar panel firms in recent years. The government offers a 13-year tax break for investors in the sector.
In late May, Pars Reys Energy Bahar (PREB), a subsidiary of French energy firm Hanau Energies Group, announced the completion of an 8.5 MW photovoltaic power plant located 130 kilometres outside of Tehran.
The French-Iranian project followed one rolled out by Phelan Energy Group from South Africa . It has built a 10 MW solar plant in the small city of Khusf in Iran’s South Khorasan province.
9.1.11 Defence sector news
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on December 1 condemned Iran for testing what he claimed was a medium-range ballistic missile “capable of carrying multiple warheads” and hitting parts of Europe and anywhere in the Middle East.
Pompeo said the test was a violation “of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that bans Iran from undertaking any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons”. However, as on previous occasions when the US has hit out at Iran for ballistic missile tests, there was no indication that the tested missile was pointing towards the design of a future missile that would be capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
Tehran reacted to Pompeo’s statement by saying that its missile programme is entirely defensive in nature and not in breach of UN resolutions.
Iran’s navy on December 1 launched a domestically made destroyer, which state media said has radar-evading stealth properties.
In a ceremony broadcast live on state television, the Sahand destroyer—which can sustain voyages lasting five months without resupply—joined Iran’s regular navy at a base in Bandar Abbas on the Gulf.
The ship has a flight deck for helicopters, torpedo launchers, anti-aircraft and anti-ship guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and electronic warfare capabilities, the state TV report said.
The Sahand may be among warships that Iran plans to send on a mission to Venezuela soon, Rear-Admiral Touraj Hassani Moqaddam, told the semi-official news agency Mehr.
“Among our plans in the near future is to send two or three vessels with special helicopters to Venezuela in South America on a mission that could last five months,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran has unveiled the domestically produced mine-resistant “Toufan” armoured military vehicle, Mehr News Agency has reported.
46 IRAN Country Report February 2019 www.intellinews.com