Close to 1,000 megawatts of new electricity generation capacity were added to the national grid, as President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated six steam and gas units in five power stations across the country via videoconference in Zanjan on Thursday.
“Iran’s installed power generation capacity has reached 90 gigawatts, of which 72,600 MW are produced in thermal power plants and the rest is generated by hydroelectric, renewable, nuclear and cogeneration units,” Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian was quoted as saying by ISNA.
The initiatives were carried out at an estimated cost of $1 billion, he added.
Giving a breakdown on the projects, the minister noted that of the total new capacity, two gas units, each with a capacity of 180 MW, became operational in Aryan Power Plant in Zanjan Province.
“The steam units in Jahrom Power Plant in Fars Province [160 MW], Haris [180 MW], Urmia Power Stations [160 MW] in East and West Azarbaijan provinces and Ferdowsi Combined-Cycle Power Plant in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province [160 MW] went on stream simultaneously,” he added.
With a total capacity of 546 megawatts, Aryan Power Plant has two 183 MW gas units and one 180 MW steam unit.
Iranian engineers have provided the plant with E Class gas turbines. Over $300 million have been invested in the plant.
The gas units are operational and the steam unit, which is under construction, will become operational next year.
When the steam unit comes on stream, the total efficiency of the combined cycle plant will increase from 40% to 52%.
The power plant seeks to enhance electricity production in northwest Iran and responds to the growth of power consumption in the region. With a population of over 1.1 million, Zanjan is a major tourist attraction. It has a highland climate characterized by extremely cold winters and warm summers.
Average Temperature
Average maximum temperature is around 27 degrees centigrade and average minimum temperature hovers around -19 degrees.
According to Mohammad Ramezani, deputy for projects development at the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company, the capacity of Iran's thermal power plants has risen by 3,500 megawatts over the last 12 months.
“Linking up 17 gas and steam units with the national grid has helped boost output capacity in thermal power stations to over 72,000 MW,” he said.
The steam units in Jahrom, 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, he added.
The gas units of 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, Kerman Province, and Iran LNG Power Plant in Kangan, Bushehr Province, have become operational in one year to add 2,000 MW to the network.
Ramezani said a total of 598 steam and gas units are operational in 129 thermal power plants.
“Despite the rise in production capacity, the power network is still suffering from a deficit of at least 10,000 MW,” he said.
The official noted that 70% of the total capacity of domestic thermal power plants are owned by the private sector.
Total electricity generation capacity in Iran has surpassed 89,000 MW and another 6,000 MW planned by the Energy Ministry will be added to the current capacity in the fall.
Iran has experienced electricity supply and demand imbalances over the past three years mainly because of a surge in energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining and a heavier use of natural gas in manufacturing and household sectors, which has caused power plants to operate at a lower capacity.
To help further stabilize the grid, TPPHC has started converting seven single-cycle power plants into combined-cycles after it received the green light of the government’s Economic Council in June.
The official said steam units in six gas-powered stations operated by the private sector will be converted at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion.
Giving a breakdown on the venture, Ramezani said 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 below 5,000 MW but will reach 7,500 MW after conversion.
