Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said on Saturday that Iran is ready to connect its power grid with Europe’s electricity network.
Speaking with the Energy Charter Treaty’s Secretary-General Urban Rusnak in Tehran, Chitchian called for facilitating measures to boost energy relations between European and regional countries, Mehr News Agency reported.
The Energy Charter Treaty is an international legally binding agreement that establishes a multilateral framework for cross-border cooperation in the energy industry. The treaty covers all aspects of commercial energy activitie,s including trade, transit, investments and energy efficiency.
“Given Iran’s high potential in the energy sector, its power grid can easily be connected to that of European countries if they show eagerness,” Chitchian said, adding that Iran currently has power exchange deals with seven neighboring states.
According to the minister, Iran’s share of electricity exports (11 gigawatt-hours) is more than its imports (4 GWh).
As per the agreement, the power grids of Iran and Russia will connect via Armenia and Georgia.
“Iran and Armenia are currently connected by two electricity lines, the third of which is being established to help materialize the prospective Iran-Russia power line,” he said.
Chitchian also said Azerbaijan has agreed that another Iran-Russia power line would bypass the country. “Iran has held negotiations on setting up subsea electricity cable lines with at least two southern neighboring countries,” he added.
Subsea Power Plans
Houshang Falahatian, deputy energy minister, earlier commented on the issue and said talks have been held with Persian Gulf littoral states, including the UAE and Oman.
He added that the project’s first stage encompasses power delivery to the UAE’s Abu Dhabi.
Rusnak also said electricity ties between different countries is essential, as they improve network management and load balancing, especially during peak hours.
On Iran-Europe power relations, he stressed that if the Energy Charter receives a proposal from Iran, it will study the Persian Gulf country’s needs and prospects to help find a European partner and start negotiations on the issue.
Underscoring that European countries are intent on establishing electricity ties with other countries, Rusnak said as the prices of electricity are very cheap in central and northern Europe, with more comprehensive data on Iran’s power market, the organization will make efforts to join the two sides.
Nominal power generation capacity stands at around 74,000 MW nationwide, with 61,000 MW coming from thermal power plants, 12,000 MW from hydroelectric plants and only 1,000 MW from nuclear power.
