According to Ahmad, “the country needed to focus on research to expand utilisation of renewable energy resources. Wind power, [for example] is the only source of renewable energy [able] to compete with oil in terms of cost-effectiveness.”

“At moment, renewable energies generate around 40,000 megawatts of electricity in the world. Europeans have planned so that renewable energies account for 20% of their electricity generation by 2030,” said Ahmad.

“That is the case; while the Management and Planning Organisation has already rejected four [renewable energy] proposals,” added the official.

Kahrobaian, however, feels with the right backing Iran can start down the road to renewable energy.

“At moment, wind-operating power stations generate only 15 megawatts of energy. We will raise the figure to 250 megawatts in ten years. To this end, we will add 80 megawatts of hydraulic energy, 17 megawatts of solar energy and one million cubic metres of solar water-heater,” said Kahrobaian without elaborating further.