TEHRAN, May 31 (MNA) – Researchers at Iran University of Science and Technology have built vertical axis tidal turbines for the very first time in the country.

Shahram Derakhshan, member of the faculty of Mechanical Engineering of University of Science and Technology said for the very first time Iranian researchers have manufactured vertical axis tidal turbines with a completely domestic design.

“The laboratory samples of the turbines have successfully undergone the production phase sponsored by the University of Science and Technology and the vice-presidency for Science and Technology,” said Derakhshan, adding the turbines are soon to be patented.

According to him, each unit of these offshore tidal turbines produces 5 to 10 kilowatts energy, which together, will amount to several hundred units of energy.

Iran is the vanguard of wind turbines and power plants technology in the Middle East. Currently, 660-kilowatt wind turbines are constructed by domestic engineers. 

In 2006, the country generated 45 megawatts of electricity from wind power (ranked 30th in the world).

Iran is a member of the Global Wind Energy Council.