The steam unit of the Qeshm Combined-Cycle Power Plant, aka combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT), in Qeshm Island in southern Hormozgan Province, will come on stream next year, the island’s governor said.
“With 160 MW capacity the unit will boost total capacity to 500 MW,” IRNA quoted Alireza Nasri as saying.
“The [Persian Gulf] island will soon be more than self-sufficient in power generation and the surplus will be supplied to other regions in the province,” Nasri said.
After it comes online construction of a desalination plant with a capacity of 8,000 cubic meters of seawater per day will begin.
The desalination plant will be designed and constructed by domestic firms and when operational it will play a major role in supplying drinking water to the strategic island.
Constructing the desalination unit at the combined-cycle power plant will benefit both facilities.
Low-pressure steam is provided by the combined cycle plant to the desalination unit and is later returned through the condensate recovery system. In return, distillate from the desalination unit is provided to the power plant for cooling the tower.
Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf (close to the Omani port of Khasab) where fishing is the main occupation. On the limited cultivated land dates and melons are grown while salt is mined on the southeastern flank.
The island is famous for its ecotourism attractions such as the Hara Marine Forests. Environmentalists say 1.5% of the world’s birds and 25% of Iran's native birds migrate to the lush green forests every year, which also is the first national geo park in Iran.
With 150,000 people active in industrial, commercial and tourist sectors, Qeshm did not produce its own electricity until 2018. The first power generation project of the island was launched in March 2018. It was a 10 MW solar power unit financed by Italian companies.
Costing $9.6 million the solar farm included 30,000 photovoltaic panels and helped meet the needs of 5,000 households.
Last year two gas units of the combined cycle power plant, each with a capacity of 170 MW, were launched at a cost of $190 million and helped the island become self-sufficient in electricity generation. The gas units have an efficiency rate of 33% and use 90,000 cubic meters of gas per hour.
When the steam unit starts operation efficiency of the plant will rise to 49%. A combined cycle power station uses both gas and steam turbines to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than traditional power plants.
Built over 73 hectares, the plant is a joint venture of Ghadir Investment Company and the industrial giant Mapna.
Mapna is a group of companies involved in a range of projects including construction of thermal and renewable power plants, oil and gas field development, onshore and offshore drilling services, as well as the design and manufacture of equipment such as turbo-compressors for refineries and processing units, among others.
Established in 1992 as a public joint stock company, Ghadir Investment Company operates in key sectors such as power, oil, gas, petrochemicals and related industries.
