A solar power plant with a capacity of 100 kilowatts has been launched in Tabriz, the center of East Azarbaijan Province, managing director of Azarbaijan Regional Electric Company said Monday.
Built at a cost of $60,000, the plant is the third of its kind in Tabriz and has increased solar capacity to 180 KW, ISNA reported Afshin Roshan-Milani as saying.
Azarbaijan Regional Electric Company produces and distributes power to East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan and Ardebil provinces.
Regarding other infrastructure projects, Roshan-Milani said 10 projects, costing $13 million to supply electricity to rural areas, will be launched in February in the three northwestern provinces.
The first phase of Heris Combined-Cycle Power Plant in Heris, of East Azarbaijan, with 180 MW capacity will come on stream by summer.
When fully operational, the plant will generate 1,000 MW of electricity.
A wind farm is under construction in Mianeh County, and upon completion will generate 50 MW.
Raising the installed capacity of Bonab Power Plant in the same province from the current 500 MW to 650 MW is on the agenda, he noted.
Azarbaijan Regional Electric Company is linked to the electricity network of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. Power is swapped with the three countries on a regular basis
“In the past five years, 46 projects in the power sector were carried out in the three provinces and cost $36 million. Another 29 projects are underway with a total investment of $4 million,” Roshan-Milani added.
Referring to the private sector role in producing power in the province, he said, “Nine thermal power plants in East Azarbaijan, owned by private companies, are producing a total of 50 MW.”
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The national power grid is connected to neighboring countries. “Azarbaijan Regional Electric Company is also linked to the electricity network of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. Power is swapped with the three countries on a regular basis,” the official noted.
Iran is ranked 14th in the world in terms of power generation and first in the Middle East.
However, despite the fact that installed power generation capacity is around 82,000 MW, actual output is far less and insufficient to meet peak-hour demand especially during the hot summers.
Iran trades electricity with four neighbors on its northwestern and western borders, namely Azerbaijan Republic, Turkey, Armenia and Iraq.
Under swap deals, Iran exports power to Armenia and Azerbaijan in winter and imports when domestic demand soars in summer.
Last April Iran reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to purchase 180 MW of electricity from the Caucasian state to prevent a potential power shortage.
The two countries have the capacity to exchange up to 700 MW of electricity per year.
Reports show that Iran imported 48.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from Azerbaijan in 2018.
Both are energy-rich countries and have close energy cooperation. The two nations have undertaken joint ventures in the construction of geothermal and wind power plants in Iran.
