The third steam unit of Urmia Combined-Cycle Power Plant in West Azarbaijan Province has been connected to the country's national electricity network, increasing the total capacity of the plant to near 1.5 gigawatts, the deputy for projects development at the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said.
“With a capacity of 160 megawatts, the project has been completed with an investment of $136 million,” Mohammad Ramezani was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
“The launch of this unit has increased the power generation capacity of the power plant to 1,478 MW,” he said.
“The inauguration of the third unit of the steam section of the Urmia power plant helps increase the efficiency of the plant to 46%, savinge 261 million cubic meters of gas for each unit annually. The three steam units will help reduce fossil fuel consumption in the power station by 785 mcm a year.”
The development of the power plant has been carried out with the aim of improving the stability of power supply and reducing blackouts in northwest Iran, making it possible to establish energy-intensive industries due to the surplus electricity production in the region, and creating jobs in Urmia City.
Lower environmental pollution and higher efficiency of electricity generation are among other features of the project.
Boasting six gas units and three steam units, Urmia Combined-Cycle Power Plant is one of the largest and most advanced power stations in western Iran.
The first and second steam units of the plant became operational in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
The steam units are equipped with E-class turbine designed and installed by MAPNA, the engineering and energy giant, which use air-cooled condensers that do not require a large volume of cooling water.
Built in 2009, Urmia Power Plant supplies power to consumers through a network that includes a 230-KV substation.
There are many gas-fired power plants in Iran with a capacity of more than 20,000 MW and an efficiency of 32%.
Energy from a thermal plant not used for power production is released into the environment in the form of heat.
The construction of steam units near gas turbines and the conversion of conventional power stations into combined-cycle power will increase efficiency to nearly 45%.
A combined-cycle power plant is more eco-friendly than conventional power stations, as they emit less greenhouse gases.
