Iran exports water and electricity equipment and services to 2o countries, energy minister Hamid Chitchian said Saturday, ILNA reported.
"We build thermal, hydroelectric and renewables power plants in Iraq, Syria, Oman, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Armenia," he said on the sidelines of the 14th Iran International Electricity Exhibition.
According to a Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) report, 52 and 35 percent of technical and engineering services exports in 2012 and 2013 belonged to the water and electricity sector. The volume reached 92 percent in the March-July period this year.
He underlined export as a means of overcoming inflation and called for diversifying the export of water and electricity equipment and services.
Iran also targets a 7-8 percent annual growth in oil production, transfer and distribution capacity.
Electricity production is expected to increase by 5,000 megawatts (MW) per year, with the capacity of power plants to reach 33,000 MW by the next five years.
Iran's gas-fueled power plants with a 16,000 MW capacity are planned to turn into combined cycle plants. Additionally, several steam turbines with 8,000 MW of capacity are expected to come on stream by March 2015. Such measures would help save fuel consumption by $3.7 billion, according to Chitchian.
The ministry has plans to reduce electricity wastage to less than 10 percent by increasing production capacity and implementing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems.
The AMI are systems that measure, collect, and analyze energy usage, and communicate with metering devices such as electricity meters, gas meters, heat meters, and water meters,
Chitchian had earlier stated that approximately 25 percent of the generated electricity is squandered before reaching the consumer; five percent of this amount goes for the power station's internal consumption, five percent is wasted within the transportation network, and 15 percent in distribution networks.
Among Top 7
Iran is currently among the top 7 power plant builders in the world, Mohammad Nahavandian, chief of staff of the president said in his visit from the electricity exhibition.
Iran needs to adopt the latest technologies in power plant construction, he said, adding that the government aims to facilitate the process via the so-called Innovation and Prosperity Fund. It was established in March 2011 to support knowledge-based companies and direct foreign investment in Iran.
Underlining the electricity industry as one of the pillars of development, he said, "Iran has the potential to be become an electricity hub in the region. We need to reinforce global ties, expand the market and increase lending facilities."
