Power loss in Iran’s electricity distribution network is close to 6,000 megawatts per day, an energy expert said.
“Electricity losses are very high and like wasting $37,500 a day,” Bargh News quoted Alireza Kafshkanan as saying.
More than 10% of electricity goes to waste in the national grid due to ageing equipment and parts and lack of modern infrastructure.
Kafshkanan, who has executive experience in electrical companies, stressed that defective electrical equipment and theft are the two main causes of power losses.
Electric power transmission and distribution losses include loss in transmission between sources of supply and points of distribution and distribution to consumers, including pilferage.
Transmission lines help in the movement of electricity from a power plant or power station to various substations, whereas distribution lines carry electricity from a substation to end consumers.
Electricity is usually sold from large power plants via extensive networks and rugged terrain. Transmission over long distances creates power loss.
Iran has a vast power infrastructure and wastage exceeds the global average that is around 8.3%.
Utilities Struggle
Discarding ageing equipment, lines, utility posts, cables and electric meters and effectively fighting illegal use (theft) are among measures taken (to the best of their ability) by struggling utilities to reduce electricity loss.
Electricity is heavily subsidized in Iran. Conservationists, free market pundits and power companies often complain that the energy subsidy policy is one major cause of excessive consumption and waste.
The Energy Ministry has said it plans to reduce electricity wastage to 9% by 2022, the expert said.
Kafshkanan noted that small-scale power plants with distributed generation system help cut power loss.
Distributed generation or on-site generation (OSG) refers to electricity produced in small quantities near the point of use, as alternative or supplement to traditional centralized grid-connected power.
It reduces the cost and complexity associated with transmission and distribution, while helping offset peak electricity demand and stabilize the local grid.
Although power wastage in the national electricity grid has declined from 15.2% in 2013, Iran is still among countries in which massive amounts of power (and money) is wasted.
Iran ranks seventh in terms of power wastage in the world. Iraq (50.6%), India (19.4), Pakistan (17.4%), Brazil (15.8), Turkey (14.8), Mexico (13.7%) are the top six.
According to reports, $400 million is required to pull down electricity waste to less than 10%, in which case Iran will have the same ranking as Portugal and Spain.
Power wastage in China, the US, France, Italy, England, South Africa and Canada is as low as 5.5%, 5.9%, 6.4%, 6.7%, 8.3%, 8.4% and 8.9% respectively.
