Power Generation Capacity Increases in Lorestan

The steam unit of Khorramabad Combined Cycle Power Plant was launched on Sunday to help boost power supply in Lorestan Province.
With a capacity of 160 megawatts, the steam unit has been completed with an investment of $150 million, IRNA reported.
The steam unit will help increase the power plant’s generation capacity by 50%.
Khorramabad Power Plant already has two gas units, each with a capacity of 162 MW. Now with the addition of the steam unit, the total capacity of power station has reached 484 MW, becoming the largest power plant in the west of the country.
The launch of the steam unit has also helped raise the efficiency of the power plant to 49%.
The power station is located on a 96-hectare land in Khorramabad, the provincial capital.
A combined-cycle power plant 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 turbine is routed to the nearby steam turbine, which generates additional electricity.
Lorestan Province has an electricity production capacity of 610 MW now. An additional 550 MW will be added to the current capacity in the near future.
Other projects include Borujerd Combined-Cycle Power Plant with a capacity of 200 MW and a 42-MW medium-scale power plant in Doroud County.
Iran meets almost 80% of its electricity demand from aging thermal plants that have reportedly outlived their usefulness and need to be replaced with modern infrastructure.
Steps have been taken to gradually convert conventional plants into efficient combined-cycle units.
While large-scale power stations are constructed to supply electricity in big cities, the use of medium-scale units can help provide power to remote areas.
Close to $3.5 billion have been invested in power plants since 2017. The total installed capacity has surpassed 90,000 MW and plans are underway to raise capacity as electricity consumption increases every year.