Load on the national power load is expected to increase by 5% in the current fiscal that started in March, a deputy managing director of Iran Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company (Tavanir) said.
Zaman Hosseini, made the statement on the sidelines of the 9th National Electric Power Generation in Tehran on Wednesday, Barq News reported.
“The network load reached 58,000 megawatts during peak hours in the last fiscal, but is expected to surpass 61 gigawatts this summer," he noted.
According to the official, power consumption in Iran rises between 5% and 8% per annum that is over the population growth rate. High and growing consumption has become a cause for concern as infrastructure expansion is not keeping pace with the rise, especially in the hot summers when cooling systems are in full swing.
Energy Ministry data show electricity use peaked to 3,600 MW in 1979. Consumption surpassed 58,000 MW last summer, indicating a 1,500% increase, he added. This is while the population increased from about 35 million forty years ago to 82 million now -- up 141%.
Hosseini went on to say that in light of the projected surge in summer, the Energy Ministry has taken measures to meet the demand.
"Thermal power plants are prepared for the hot season Moreover, close to 1,000 MW of new capacity will be added to the national grid in June raising network capacity to 60,000 MW," he said.
Hydropower production declined to 5,000 MW last year due to drought. "This volume is projected to reach 11,000 MW in summer."
Regarding power wastage, he said standardizing the distribution network, using self-contained cables, replacing 20KV medium voltage cables, timely repairs and discarding malfunctioning equipment, supply lines, utility poles and electric meters are among measures taken to help reduce electricity loss.
"Average power wastage in Iran is 11% now, but in some cities like Isfahan and Tabriz it is less than 9%."
Grid Expansion
Tavanir data show that length of the national power distribution network now surpasses 800,000 km and the grid was extended by more than 18,000 km in the last year alone.
The number of transformers increased by 15,000 in 2018, reaching 702,000 and include distribution, step-up, step-down, medium and large gas-insulated equipment.
The number of electricity meters nationwide is in the region of 35.5 million. Household, agriculture, and industrial sectors account for 28.5 million, 436,000 and 242,000 subscribers respectively. The rest are public and commercial companies.
