The pilot phase of a project to connect the electricity grids of Iran and Russia is complete and as soon as protection relays are harmonized, the two nations will start power trade, Iran’s energy minister said.
“Iran’s power network will be linked to that of Russia through Azerbaijan, as it is more viable,” Ali Akbar Mehrabian was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news service.
Currently, Iran has cross-border power trade with seven neighboring states, namely Pakistan, Armenia, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey. Russia will be added to the list soon, he added.
The minister said trade in electricity can help bring down energy prices, mitigate power shocks, relieve shortages, facilitate decarbonization and provide incentives for market development and integration.
Synchronizing the national power grid with those of neighboring states tops the Energy Ministry’s priority list, as not only will it stabilize electricity supplies in peak hours but also maximize power exports.
Linking Iran and Russia’s electricity grids is expected to help the two nations exchange electricity in summer and winter.
“Russia will receive power between November and March when demand dips in Iran and Russia will supply Iran with power between June and August when demand peaks,” he said.
According to Mehrabian, as soon as the hot season is over in Iran and cooling systems are switched off, power demand will reduce by at least 30,000 megawatts that can be exchanged with the neighbors.
“Iran needs to synchronize its power grid with that of Russia because otherwise it has to invest billions of dollars to build new power stations to bridge the widening gap between supply and demand that currently stands at 10,000 MW,” he said.
The minister noted that there are two routes through which Iran’s power grid can be connected to Russia’s: one is via Republic of Azerbaijan and the other through Armenia and Georgia.
Iran is pursuing plans to connect its power grid with Europe, in the linkup of which Armenia, a nation of about 3 million people northwest of Iran, could play a key role.
By setting up a regional electricity grid and boosting current power exchanges, Iran could also connect its network with Georgia, Slovenia and other European states through Armenia.
Back-to-Back Substation
According to the spokesman of the electricity sector, Mostafa Rajabi-Mashhadi, Iran and Turkey have started power trade with the help of a high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) back-to-back substation.
“The two states are currently exchanging close to 600 megawatts of power per day, which will double as soon as technical glitches are resolved gradually,” he said.
The spokesman explained that under a new swap deal, Iran will export 600 MW of electricity per day to Turkey in winter and import the same volume when domestic demand soars in summer.
Referring to the advantages of HVDC system, Rajabi-Mashhadi noted that not only can the voltage and frequency be controlled independently in two networks, but the power flow is also fast, accurate and fully controllable.
The system’s stability also increases, as power flow is maintained at the optimal limits and networks at different frequencies.
According to the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, due to torrential rains, most dams in Turkey are full, which explains why electricity generation via hydroelectric dams has maximized, but it is interested in exchanging power.
Rajabi-Mashhadi noted that Azerbaijan and Armenia also supply close to 700 MW to Iran under a swap agreement.
For nearly three-fifths of the world population, the lack of access to energy is a major challenge to economic development and poverty reduction.
Increasing cross-border trade in electricity can play a major role in helping overcome these challenges.
Construction work is in progress for the third Iran-Armenia power transmission line, the completion of which will boost the potential of electricity trade not only between the two countries but also with Georgia and Russia.
The transmission line is designed to boost Armenia’s electricity export to Iran that is paid for with natural gas via a 140-km gas pipeline.
Armenia annually exports 350 megawatts of electricity to Iran. With the completion of the third line, this volume would reach 1 gigawatt.
The extension of the line is considered necessary to synchronize Iran’s power grid with Georgia.
A protection relay is a smart device that receives inputs, compares them to set point, and provides outputs. Inputs can be current, voltage, resistance, or temperature. Outputs can include visual feedback in the form of indicator lights and/or an alphanumeric display, communications, control warnings, alarms and turning power off and on.
