Power generation capacity of solar and wind power plants will increase two-fold by yearend (March 21), managing director of Iran Power Generation and Transmission Company (Tavanir) announced.
Having a total installed capacity of 72,800 megawatts (MW), Iran is ranked fourth in the world in terms of electricity generation. However, the country is one of the most improvident power consumers globally, Homayoun Haeri was quoted by Fars news agency as saying on Friday.
Of this amount, around 220 MW is generated from hydroelectric plants and 220 MW via wind and solar units. Power generation is now diversified and comes from wind, hydro, solar, steam, combined-cycle, and gas resources. The share of renewable resources in Iran’s total energy production currently stands at almost 0.5%, while the number is expected to reach 5 percent in the next four years.
The national power grid consists of highly advanced Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). PMU or synchrophasor is a device which measures the electrical waves on an electricity grid, using a common time source for synchronization. Time synchronization allows synchronized real-time measurements of multiple remote measurement points on the grid.
"Iran is the center of electric power exchange in the region," Haeri said, adding that in this regard the country aims to connect with Persian Gulf states through submarine power cables.
Biggest ME Wind Farm
Manjil wind farm, with an installed capacity of 128 MW, will become the biggest wind farm in the Middle East upon completion of its development plan before the end of January.
Several 20 MW wind turbines will be added to the site by Iran Renewable Energy Organization in the next two weeks, SUNA's head of the wind energy engineering department, Iraj Harsini, said Thursday.
Construction of another 128 MW power plant could be finished in a year and a half, if the required funding is allocated in due course. "Domestic potentials shall be exploited to yield the additional 128 MW," Harsini noted.
According to projections, a total of 33 MW wind power plants are due commissioning by the end of next year (March 2016).
Iran needs to generate 5,000 MW of renewable energies by 2015 as stipulated in the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2011-16).
Manjil wind farm is located in the eastern part of the northern Gilan Province.
