Power Generation From Sewage to Expand in Metropolises

Electricity generation from sewage has been started in the capital Tehran and will be launched in other Iranian metropolises including Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz, a senior official at the National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company said.

“The company is close to sealing contracts on setting up plants to produce power from wastewater in Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz,” Bahman Vakili was also quoted as saying by IRNA on Friday.

He noted that the import of equipment for such plants was banned under sanctions, which are now removed.

Underscoring that electricity generation from sewage is one of the main goals of Energy Ministry and NWWEC, he added that some of the wastewater treatment plants, such as the one in southern Tehran, are linked to combined heat and power (CHP) plants, which can produce electricity from the treatment process.

One of the world’s largest biogas power plants is under construction in Tehran, which will have the capacity to generate 80,000 megawatts of power per year and 270 terajoule of heating energy, equivalent to 44,000 barrels of oil, once fully completed. The plant’s electricity output will be sufficient for 100,000 people.

A biogas plant is a decentralized energy system, which can lead to self-sufficiency in heat and power needs, and at the same time reduces environmental pollution.

Currently, six wastewater treatment plants in Tehran are equipped with CHP plants, which produce 60,000 megawatts of power, enough for a population of 80,000, and 200 terajoule of heating energy, equivalent to 32,000 barrels of oil.

Earlier this week, Vakili told Zist Online that 184 wastewater treatment plants are currently operational across Iran with an annual output of about 1.2 billion cubic meters of processed wastewater.

The official added that 295 cities in the country are equipped with wastewater systems.

  "Out of the total urban population in the country, 47.6% are connected to wastewater networks," he said.

However, Vakili stressed that the treatment plants are able to treat the sewage generated by 18.5 million people, which account for 31-32% of the country's urban population.