Thermal power stations, with an installed generation capacity of 4,000 megawatts, have become operational in the last 12 months, the deputy for projects development at the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said.
“With the synchronization of 20 gas and steam units in thermal power plants with the national grid, the capacity of Iran's thermal power plants has surpassed 73,000 megawatts,” Mohammad Ramezani was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news portal.
Giving a breakdown, he said the gas units of Butia Iranian Steel Company’s Combined-Cycle Power Plant in southern Kerman Province, Hengam Power Plant in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, Pasargad Power Station on Qeshm Island and Mianroud in Dezful, Khuzestan Province, Aryan Power Plant in Zanjan Province, Mahtab Kavir Power Plant in Zarand County, Kerman Province, and Iran LNG Power Plant in Kangan County, Bushehr Province, have become operational during the period to add 2,500 MW to the network.
The steam units in Jahrom Power Plant in Fars Province, Haris and Urmia power stations in East and West Azarbaijan provinces, Chabahar Power Plant in Sistan-Baluchestan Province and Besat Power Station in Asalouyeh in Bushehr Province have added 1,500 MW to Iran’s thermal power generation capacity.
“So far, 604 steam and gas units have been built in 134 thermal power plants of the country,” he said.
The TPPHC official noted that 70% of the total capacity of thermal power plants in the country are owned by the private sector.
Iran’s total electricity generation capacity has surpassed 90,000 MW, of which 81% are produced in thermal power stations.
TPPHC has started converting seven single-cycle power plants into combined-cycles after it received the green light of the government’s Economic Council.
Conversion Scheme
All the seven gas-powered stations are operated by the private sector and the conversion scheme is projected to cost $2.5 billion, the official said.
Ramezani noted that the total volume of power generation of these plants, namely the Soltaniyeh Power Plant in Zanjan, Zagros Power Station in the western Kermanshah Province, Persian Gulf Power Plant in Hormozgan Province, Golestan and Semnan power plants in the namesake provinces, Khorramshahr facility in Khuzestan and Shahid Kaveh Power Plant in Khorasan Razavi Province, is less than 5,000 MW but will reach 7,500 MW after conversion.
“Aimed at enhancing power production capacity and helping to further stabilize the national power grid, the initiative will be undertaken in four years with the help of domestic engineers and locally-manufactured equipment,” he said.
According to Mahmoud Sadeqi, director of the power project at TPPHC, the second gas unit of Mahtab Kavir Power Plant was connected to the national electricity network in August.
“With a capacity of 162 MW, the unit has been officially launched after a two-month trial operation,” he added.
The first gas unit of the plant became operational in May and a steam unit will be launched later by the yearend.
Sadeqi noted that the power station helps supply electricity to southern and southeastern regions in the provinces of Kerman, Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchestan.
