Thermal power output grew 5% in the first six months of the current fiscal that started in March compared to the corresponding period last year, Mohsen Tarztalab, head of Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said Saturday, Mehr News Agency reported.
"Thermal power stations generated 42,000 megawatt hours of electricity per day in the period -- a 5% increase compared to last year," he said, noting that thermal plants running on fossil fuels accounted for 96% of the total electricity production in the six months to September 22.
Total electricity production capacity is 77,000 MW, over 69,000 MW of which was generated by thermal power plants operated by TPPHC in the summer, the official added.
Giving a breakdown, he said of the 69,000 MW, steam-powered plants, gas-powered stations and combined-cycle plants generate 15,829 MW, 34,258 MW and 19,470 MW respectively.
According to the official, hydropower plants (12,000 MW), the Bushehr nuclear plant (1,000 MW) in south Iran, distributed generation stations (1,500 MW) and renewables (less than 700 MW) constitute the rest of the installed national capacity.
"The thermal power plants' efficiency is 37.5% and will reach 40% by the end of the Sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2017-22)," he said. In fiscal 2013-14, 42% of the feedstock consumed by power plants was liquefied fuel, such as diesel and mazut, but that share is now less than 10% because South Pars Gas Field produces 550 million cubic meters on a daily basis.
Pointing to development plans underway, he said TPPHC is in charge of constructing 7,000 MW of gas-powered units in Sabalan, Kashan, Urmia, Chabahar and the Asalouyeh combined cycle power plants.
Tarztalab said work is in progress at the Maku Power Plant in the eponymous trade zone in West Azarbaijan Province as well as the Qeshm 2 and Bandar Abbas power plants in Hormozgan Province and Lamerd in Fars Province.
South Pars, the world's largest gas field is in Iran with its Qatari extension referred to as the North Dome.
