Morteza Zakerian made the remarks during a visit to the under-construction solar facility, describing the project as one of South Khorasan’s foreign-investment projects in the renewable energy sector.

He said expanding renewable power generation could help ease electricity supply imbalances in Iran and the province while strengthening the reliability of the power grid.

Once operational, the 30-MW facility will contribute to meeting part of the region’s electricity demand and adding new generation capacity to the national grid, Zakerian said.

South Khorasan has already connected 48 MW of solar power generated through foreign investment to the national electricity network, he added, noting that efforts to attract additional investment in the sector are continuing.

The investor behind the Nehbandan project has also submitted a proposal to develop an additional 100 MW of solar power capacity in the province, according to Zakerian. He said the proposal underscored South Khorasan’s potential for attracting further foreign investment in renewable energy.

The provincial authorities are pursuing a broader objective of achieving a more stable electricity supply and moving toward a “no-blackout province,” Zakerian said, emphasizing the role of solar power development in meeting that target.

He added that investment in renewable energy would not only expand electricity-generation capacity and support grid stability but also enable the province to capitalize on its natural solar resources, attract further foreign capital and develop new energy infrastructure.

Given South Khorasan’s substantial solar potential, the provincial administration is continuing to support investment projects in the sector and streamline procedures to facilitate their implementation, Zakerian said.