IRAN JUST TURNED VOLCANIC HEAT INTO ELECTRICITY AND THE WEST DID NOT HELP
Iran has officially completed and commissioned its first geothermal power plant in the Sabalan region, marking a milestone in the country’s renewable energy sector.
The 5.4-megawatt Sabalan Geothermal Power Plant has an estimated expansion potential of up to 250 megawatts. It was reportedly left unfinished after European companies withdrew from the project following US sanctions.
Iranian domestic engineers successfully adapted oil drilling technology to reach geothermal reservoirs containing dissolved volcanic material approximately 3 kilometres underground, where temperatures range between 240°C and 250°C.
The high-pressure hot water is brought to the surface, where the pressure drop causes it to rapidly convert into steam. The steam then drives turbines and generates electricity.
Sabalan is an inactive stratovolcano and Iran’s third-highest peak. The Sabalan region in northwestern Iran has long been known for its geothermal potential, but developing it required technology and expertise that was not available domestically.
Now it is. Iranian engineers did what European companies abandoned. They built the plant. They connected it to the grid. They proved that sanctions do not stop innovation.
This is not just about electricity. This is about energy independence. This is about technological sovereignty. This is about Iran saying it can build its own future without Western help.