The first gas unit of Rashed combined-cycle power plant in Torbat Heidarieh County has been connected to the electricity grid, deputy for projects development at the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said.
“To meet growing demand in the northeastern province, the construction of power plant with two 183 megawatts gas units and one 180 MW steam unit is underway by MAPNA Group,” Mohammad Ramezani was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news service Paven.
“The power station is of special importance as it seeks to provide reliable and stable electricity, preserve the environment, generate employment and solve the problems of voltage drop in the Khorasan region,” he added.
It can also serve as a hub for electricity export to neighboring countries when domestic consumption decreases in the cold season.
Spread over 50 hectares, 12 kilometers northeast of Torbat Heidarieh City, the plant will have an overall power output capacity of 546 MW when all the units become operational.
MAPNA Group is a conglomerate of Iranian companies involved in the development and execution of thermal and renewable power, oil and gas, railroads and other industrial projects as well as manufacturing equipment.
Adding to Capacity
Since September of last year and with the launch of 23 gas and steam units, Iran’s thermal power output capacity has increased by about 4,500 MW, Ramezani said.
Several projects are underway to increase power output capacity to meet rising demand next year.
According to the deputy for planning and management development at TPPHC, another 6,000 MW of electricity will be added to the power generation capacity of the country by next summer.
“The construction of a combined-cycle power plant takes about four years and requires an investment of around $650 million,” Amir Doudabi-Nejad was also quoted as saying by Paven.
“About 80% of the country's electricity generation capacity come from thermal power plants, 12% belong to hydroelectric power stations and the rest is produced by renewable, nuclear and small-scale power plants which, according to technical conditions, should be continuously maintained in order to produce sustainable electricity,” he added.
Last summer, the country suffered from occasional blackouts in different regions. However, with the measures taken since last year, there has been no power outages during the summer of this year.
Sustainable power supplies continue this year, although “we have faced difficult conditions in terms of heat and drought”, the official said.
“This summer, the average temperature is 1.1 degrees higher than last year, and the amount of precipitation has decreased by 17% compared to the long-term average, which have led to a downtrend in the electricity production of hydroelectric power plants,” Doudabi-Nejad said.
Despite all this, the country is going to finish the hot season without any blackouts.
