Iran will not face any power outages in summer if electricity consumption is curbed by merely 10 percent, Deputy Energy Minister Houshang Falahatian said.
Industrial units and administrative offices as well as household consumers will be given a discount on their electricity bills should they reduce consumption at times of peak demand, Falahatian was quoted by Fars News Agency as saying on Monday.
Iran's installed electricity generation capacity has increased by approximately 3,000 MW over the past year. However, due to the significant rise in power consumption besides decline in the efficiency of power plants in the hot season, consumption ought to be carefully managed, he noted.
According to published reports, power consumption peaked at 48,600 MW last summer; nonetheless, it is projected to exceed 52,000 this year. "To manage consumption, we need to rely on not only the increased power generation capacity but also judicious consumption of all consumers."
Local power distribution companies have urged both factories and energy-hungry industries to curb consumption through offering discounts on their electricity bills. Falahatian reiterated industrial units can carry out part of their operations from midnight until morning, a period in which consumption and tariffs are lower than those of daytime.
Iran’s electricity industry ranks 14th in the world and first in the Middle East in terms of electricity generation with an installed capacity of more than 72,000 MW. It 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.
