Three 42-MW units of Zahedan medium-sized power plant in Sistan-Baluchestan Province will become operational by mid-June, director of planning at the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said.
“Due to the need for achieving sustainable electricity supply and improving the balance of production and consumption in the southeastern province, the project to build a medium-sized power plant in Zahedan, the provincial capital, in the vicinity of the gas power plant in the city was designed and construction of the station is currently underway,” Hamidreza Azimi was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news portal Paven.
The main equipment of the project has been produced by MAPNA Group and will be transported to the project site next week so that the units are ready by summer, he added.
Last December, MAPNA signed a contract with TPPHC, a subsidiary of the Energy Ministry, to build six medium-sized gas power plants.
The deal also included the establishment of seven gas units, each with a nominal capacity of 42 MW, as well as other systems and ancillary equipment.
As per the deal, other than the units in Zahedan plant, other units would be built in Morvarid Power Plant on Kish Island, Jask Power Plant in Hormozgan Province, Doroud Power Plant in Lorestan Province, Shush Power Plant in Khuzestan Province and Khatam Power Plant in Yazd Province. The project was envisaged to be completed within 24 months.
The power plants will be equipped with a wide range of MAPNA Group's products and systems, including the MGT40 gas turbine, generators, power and control systems, and ancillary equipment.
MAPNA’s medium-sized power plants also have the ability to generate offshore and off-grid power and are economically suitable for various industries. Another advantage of these units is the limited land area required.
MAPNA Group is a conglomerate of Iranian companies involved in the development and execution of thermal and renewable power plants, oil and gas industries, railroads and other industrial projects as well as manufacturing equipment.
Economically Viable
In order to increase electricity generation and reduce voltage drop in remote areas, the use of medium-sized power stations is on the agenda, Azimi said.
“The construction of such power plants is a better option in remote areas than the construction of large-scale plants, as the latter do not have technical and economic justifications,” he added.
In Sistan-Baluchestan Province, the amount of energy consumption in the summer is more than the electricity produced by the province's power plants. For this purpose, the launch of the new medium-sized power plant will significantly help provide sustainable electricity in the region and meet the power consumption needs of the underprivileged province.
Furthermore, “the executive operations of a 500-MW power plant in Zahedan will start next year”, Paven also quoted Azimi as saying.
Operations for developing the infrastructure of the state-owned power plant are progressing well, and since February, measures related to the installation of a 6.7-km-long water transmission lines have been started to supply the power plant. The relevant gas transmission line has also been put in place.
To help provide electricity in the southeastern province, mobile power plants are used in the region. The 25-MW portable trailer-mounted mobile turbine was synchronized with the national grid in Saravan City last year to help prevent power disruption.
Power plants in Sistan-Baluchestan generate 1,100 MW while the province requires at least 1,500 MW to avoid frequent power outages that have harmed industries, which take a toll on electrical equipment and reduce efficiency.
Daily electricity consumption in the southeastern province surpasses 1,500 MW between June and August.
Mobile power units can be transported anywhere by land, air or sea for rapid deployment. When installed, the turbine starts producing power within half an hour.
Sistan-Baluchestan is an underdeveloped region and needs investment for developing its energy infrastructure.
It is hoped that the improvement of energy infrastructure will help promote the region’s sustainable development.
