Plans are underway to build 24 thermal units by September to meet rising demand during the upcoming summer.
The construction of new units will help add over 7,000 megawatts to the current thermal power generation capacity of Iran, Bargh News reported.
According to plans, 18 new thermal units will become operational and the priority is to complete steam units of combined-cycle power plants with a capacity of over 3,000 MW.
Moreover, industries are building six thermal units with a capacity of 1,478 MW.
Repair and maintenance of three damaged units are also underway, which will add 730 MW to the country's power production capacity.
In addition to these programs, 1,038 MW of electricity will be produced by renewable and small-scale power plants.
Considering all the ongoing measures, close to 7,800 MW of power will be added to the capacity of Iran's power production by the end of the summer.
Overhaul programs are launched every year in September, which end in May of the following year. With the completion of repair and maintenance measures, the power plants will be ready by June to help ensure sustainable supply during the peak summer season.
In the past 20 months, more than 6,300 MW have been added to the capacity of the country's thermal power generation.
During the period, 34 thermal units with a capacity of 5,198 MW have been connected to the national power grid.
The gas units of Butia Iranian Steel Company’s Combined-Cycle Power Plant in southern Kerman Province, 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 County, Kerman Province, and Iran LNG Power Plant in Kangan County, Bushehr Province, have become operational during the period.
The steam units in Jahrom Power Plant in Fars Province, 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 also come on stream.
Through some maintenance programs, the capacity of existing power plants has also increased by 1,117 MW.
Currently, 616 thermal units in 134 power plants are producing sustainable electricity for customers all over the country.
Investment of Industries
Earlier this month, following the synchronization of the fourth gas unit of Shahid Bakeri Power Plant in Semnan, the capacity of the country's thermal power plants reached 74,200 MW.
Financed by industries, power station projects with a capacity of 1,478 MW have made over 50% progress and will become operational by June.
The projects are the result of a deal signed in 2021 between the Energy Ministry and the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade for the construction of thermal and solar power plants with a total capacity of 10 gigawatts by industries to provide reliable and stable electricity to mining and other industries.
The first and second gas units of Mobarakeh Steel Company’s combined-cycle power plant in Isfahan Province, the first gas unit of Al-Mahdi Aluminum Power Station in Hormozgan Province, Lamerd Power Plant in Fars Province and Sirjan Power Station in Kerman Province are expected to become operational soon.
As per the agreement, 10,000 MW of power stations were initially planned by industries in 15 provinces, which figure later increased to 18,200 MW.
The current thermal capacity will reach 82,000 MW by the end of the summer with the completion of the ongoing projects.
Iran’s total electricity generation capacity has surpassed 90,000 MW, of which about 83% are produced in thermal power stations.
A problem of thermal power plants in Iran is that many have long outlived their usefulness. Power plants built more than half a century ago are still in service, largely due to the government’s inability to replace them under the difficult economic conditions.
Steps have been taken to convert conventional plants into combined-cycle units, as the latter uses both gas and steam turbines to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than a traditional simple cycle plant. The waste heat from the gas turbines is sent to nearby steam turbines that again generate electricity.
Energy from a thermal power plant not utilized in power production is released in the form of heat into the environment. This waste heat can go through a condenser and be disposed with cooling water or in cooling towers.
