Power generation needs to increase by another 5,000 megawatts annually to meet the demand of 1.5 million consumers who join the national grid every year, the Iran Power Generation and Transmission Company (TAVANIR) said.
"According to plans, power production capacity will increase by 3,500 MW over and above the volume generated by the hydroelectric plants," the deputy for operation monitoring and coordination for TAVANIR Gholam Reza Khoshkholgh said Monday, IRNA reported. Khoshkholgh pointed to the power exchange (electricity market) between Iran and its neighbors, and said "We have power exchange with all neighbors that share common borders, and presently export electricity to Iraq and Afghanistan".
"Peak demand hit 48,000 MW in the past year; the figure is predicted to increase to 52,000 MW in the upcoming year (starts March 21) but no problems are anticipated in meeting the rising demand…With good rains in the spring almost 15% of the power will be supplied by hydroelectric plants."
The official said Qazvin is one of the leading provinces in the development of wind power through wind tunnels and turbines in Manjil (a city in Rudbar city, Gilan Province) and pans are underway to build wind turbines in Kahak (a town in Qom Province) by the MAPNA Group (a group of Iranian companies involved in construction and installation of energy production machinery).
Appraising the cooperation between the people and the industrial sector during the peak electricity demand in the past summer, Khoshkholgh said TAVANIR is taking measures to reduce electricity costs for industries and factories during peak demand and ensure sustainability in the national network.
Iran’s electricity industry ranks 14th in the world and first in the Middle East in terms of electricity generation with an installed power generation capacity of 72,000 MW. The country is the largest exporter and importer of electricity in the Middle East and exports electric power to Armenia, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Azerbaijan and Armenia supply electricity to Iran under a swap agreement. Iran’s annual electricity exports to Iraq are valued at $1 billion, with Baghdad importing around 1,300 MW of electricity from Iran per day.
