A new round of negotiations was initiated between power distributing companies and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), whereby the latter will provide assistance as regards establishment of a comprehensive plan to indigenize environmentally-friendly technologies, Mehr news agency reported.
JICA officials are in Tehran to discuss cooperation with Iranian power distribution companies. They have visited several electricity supplying sites in the suburbs of Tehran. The delegation is working towards finalizing a contractual framework for cooperation.
Tehran's advanced distribution automation and electricity management information systems (MIS) have won over the Japanese, Seyed Ali Barband, managing director of Tehran Electricity Distribution Company, said.
However, Iranian electricity distribution companies are in need of state-of the-art technologies to reduce electricity wastage in the power grid.
A key issue proposed by the energy ministry to JICA is to draft a comprehensive plan whereby environmentally-friendly technologies in power industry are identified, employed, and indigenized.
Boosting renewable energy production capacity and transforming the current electricity infrastructure into a smart grid are among other issues for the implementation of which Iran has initiated joint efforts with other countries, including Japan.
The future trend of electric power networks is smart grid, which includes such features as, integration of high level of renewable energies, higher efficiency, flexibility, security, reliability, resiliency, sustainability, compatibility and cost control.
To deliver the benefits of the smart grid, there should be some changes in power system networks. "The existing infrastructure is holding back progress," Barband said, underlining that the infrastructure needs to be developed.
JICA is also providing assistance to Iran with a focus on development of domestic industries, reduction of disparities between urban and rural areas, environmental preservation, water resource management and disaster management.
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.
Established in 1974, JICA is the primary Japanese governmental agency responsible for technical cooperation component of Japan's bilateral ODA (Japan's Official Development Assistance) program.
