Renewable Power Development Seen as Key to Protecting Energy Infrastructure
Former securities regulator chief says distributed solar plants could reduce vulnerability to attacks on power facilities.
Former Securities and Exchange Organization chief Shapour Mohammadi said distributed renewable-energy infrastructure, particularly solar plants, could make Iran’s energy system less vulnerable to attacks. He spoke at the launch of subscription for investment units in the Hoorسان Sustainable Solar Power Plant Project Fund on the Energy Exchange and highlighted recent investment activity in renewable projects.
TEHRAN — The development of renewable-energy infrastructure could help protect Iran’s energy system from threats against power plants, former Securities and Exchange Organization chief Shapour Mohammadi said on Sunday.
Speaking at the launch of the subscription for investment units in the Hoorسان Sustainable Solar Power Plant Project Fund on the Energy Exchange, Mohammadi said the Energy Exchange plays an important role in allocating energy resources efficiently.
He said investment units in the Noor Renewable Project Fund, covering 500 megawatts of renewable power plants across several provinces, had been offered on the Energy Exchange the previous week and had received a positive response.
According to Mohammadi, the dispersed nature of renewable power generation is a major advantage. He said that if solar plants were distributed rather than concentrated in a single location, it would be more difficult for an adversary to destroy the country’s energy infrastructure.
“America repeatedly threatens to target energy infrastructure,” Mohammadi said, adding that dispersed solar plants would make such attacks more difficult. He also said renewable power plants would need to be distributed because most of the country’s electricity substations have a capacity of 63 kilowatts, according to his remarks.
Mohammadi said progress had been made in renewable energy during the first two years of the 14th administration. He also described gold, silver, foreign-currency and energy funds as valuable investment instruments for the capital market.
The founder of the Energy Exchange said the exchange’s role had initially been questioned, but that the ministries of oil and energy later became involved in its development. He added that representatives of the Energy Exchange are now regularly invited to government and parliamentary meetings on energy laws and regulations.
Mohammadi said insurance companies manage the Hoorسان renewable-power project fund, arguing that insurers invest only when they are confident of adequate returns and effective risk management.