Plans are underway to increase power production capacity and expand electricity network to help with the sustainable power supply to all sectors across Iran, the head of Iran Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company (Tavanir) said.
“Last year, a plan was started to add 35,000 megawatts to the electricity generation capacity over four years to address the country's imbalance between demand and consumption,” Arash Kordi was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news portal Paven.
In the first year of the program, about 6,000 MW were added to the capacity that currently stands at 89,000 MW.
“But in line with the rise in capacity, there is also a need for transmission and distribution infrastructures. According to programs, the construction of 98,000 kilometers of new electricity network will start soon,” he added.
The official said Iran's electricity network is dilapidated and, in addition to providing infrastructure and increasing production capacity, it is necessary to replace a part of the network to eliminate wear and tear.
“Of the total 370,000 kilometers of aerial copper wires in the power distribution network, about 210,000 kilometers have been replaced with aerial bundled cables,” he said.
“The use of self-supporting aluminum cables helps reduce electricity loss in the network and prevent cable theft.”
Theft of copper cables has been disrupting power supply in different regions, creating problems for the people, businesses and industries.
Replacing worn-out and uninsulated cables with aerial bundled cables has other advantages like preserving the environment and increasing the safety of infrastructure during natural disasters.
Aerial bundled conductors are overhead power lines using several insulated phase conductors bundled tightly together usually with a bare neutral conductor.
This contrasts with the traditional practice of using uninsulated conductors separated by air gaps. The variation of bundled conductors utilizes the same principles as overhead power lines, except that they are closer together to the point of touching but each conductor is surrounded by an insulating layer.
Kordi said replacing traditional meters with modern smart ones is yet another measure to help control power consumption.
“Six million smart meters are to be installed for 15% of subscribers with excessive consumption,” he added.
A smart meter is a modern electricity meter that digitally sends meter readings to the energy supplier and helps users control their consumption. It also ensures accurate energy billing.
