A preliminary agreement on construction of power plants in Azerbaijan was reached between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran's ambassador to Baku, Mohsen Pakaieen, said Monday. It calls for building two power plants at the joint Khoda-Afarin and Ghiz-Ghal'eh-Si dams, turbines will be installed after a final agreement is reached.
Khoda-Afarin is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Aras River straddling the border between Iran and Azerbaijan. It is located 8km west of Khomarlu in Iran's East Azerbaijan Province and 14km southwest of Soltanli in Jabrayil District, Azerbaijan. Ghiz-Ghal'eh-Si is also located in East Azerbaijan Province, with a power generation capacity of 135 gigawatt-hour per annum, IRIB reported.
Iran is not only self-sufficient in power plant construction but has concluded several contracts on implementing energy projects in neighboring states. The country's dam building capacity has significantly improved in the past three decades, with some 200 contractors, 70 consulting firms and 30 entities as well as hundreds of hydroelectric manufacturing companies set up inside the country. Iran ranks third in dam building internationally, after China and Japan, according to the American Enterprise Institute.
Thirty Iranian firms have undertaken 88 water and electricity projects worth $4.3 billion across the world, including in South America, namely in Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela.
Foreign Delegates Inspect Karun Projects
Representatives from 12 countries on Monday visited two Iranian dam and power plant projects, Karun 3 and Karun 4. In order to become familiar with Iran's progress in building the two projects, Tehran invited representatives from foreign countries to inspect the two mega projects. Representatives from Sudan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Germany, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Algeria and South Africa responded.
"These countries are considered important business destinations for Iranian firms," the energy ministry's deputy manager of international affairs, Adnan Gharouni, said. "During such visits foreign countries are informed of our technical prowess, which can be utilized in their infrastructure projects."
Karun 3 is a hydroelectric dam on the Karun River in Khuzestan Province. It was built to help meet Iran's growing energy needs and control floods. Karun 4 is an arch dam also built on the Karun River, 180km southwest of Shahr-e-Kord in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. It is projected to supply 2,107 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and help control flooding in the upper Karun.
