Consumption of mazut as feedstock in Tehran’s power plants is virtually zero, the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company’s deputy for renovation affairs said.
“Mazut, the eco-unfriendly fuel, accounted for 50% of feedstock in five main power plants of Tehran Province up until 2015. That has now declined to almost zero with positive and encouraging effect on curbing air pollution,” Ali Asghar Abdoli was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Parand and Shohada-ye Pakdasht combined-cycle power plants, Tarasht Thermal Power Plant in the west and the Rey and Besat stations in the south meet the electricity needs of the province.
“As long as the facilities are supplied with adequate natural gas, there will be no need for liquefied fuels,” he added.
Referring to TPPHC’s measures to mitigate pollution from the huge stations, the official said measures have been taken at the Besat station to collect carbon dioxide emissions.
“Special equipment has been installed on exhaust [smoke] stack to capture and reuse harmful gases. The environment-friendly project is aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, which plan will also be implemented in other plants,” he said.
“Power plants do not want to use mazut simply because it doubles maintenance costs, increases water consumption and decreases output.”
Most thermal power plants are gas-fired and feeding them liquefied fuels (except in emergency cases) will have long-term adverse effects like damaged machinery and parts.
Iran is the world's eighth biggest CO2 emitter, producing 552 million tons in 2015, according to published reports.
Toxic emissions from the country's oil and natural gas refineries, which have been drivers of economic growth for decades, are major polluters. Iran is one of the 195 signatories of Paris climate accord (2017) to cut greenhouse gases and cap global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
Fossil fuel power plants generate significant amounts of CO2 that triggered global warming and climate change and which nations are struggling hard to control.
Among CO2 mitigation options, carbon capture and storage is considered the only technology that can significantly reduce CO2 emission from fossil fuel combustion in Iran’s thermal plants.
THPCC oversees dozens of fossil fuel power plants with an installed capacity of over 70,000 MW – the bulk of Iran's electricity demand. It is also in charge of building 7,000 MW of gas-powered units for the Shiraz, Tabriz, Kashan, Urmia and Chabahar combined cycle power plants.
