Hydroelectric power plants generated over 10% of total electricity production in Iran as consumption continues to rise, said the deputy for operation affairs at Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company.
“On June 20, electricity consumption reached 57,290 megawatts, of which 11% was hydropower,” Jalaleddin Hojjati was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The figure, registered on the last day of spring, was the highest this year so far and nearly 6% more compared to the same day last year.
Higher temperatures started earlier this year and cooling systems went into force at home and the workplace. This pushed power consumption to record levels.
To help stabilize the national grid, hydropower plants normally operate at 80% capacity and increase output if needed during summer. This year peak demand is expected to reach 60,000 MW, Hojjati said.
Given the appropriate volume of water stored in the dams across the country, hydropower stations can operate at full capacity, the official was quoted as saying.
The highest volume of hydropower so far has been produced by Karun 4, Gatvand, Seymareh, Rudbar, Darian and Sardasht power plants.
Hydropower plants have an installed capacity of over 12,000 MW, but usually produce less if water levels in dams are low.
Dams across Iran can hold a maximum of 50 billion cubic meters of water and this year so far 70% are full.
Hydropower plants play a key role during outages because they quickly reestablish supply after a blackout and support other plants (mostly thermal).
Hydropower is a renewable energy and its production is cleaner compared to other sources.
55 Plants
In hydropower production Iran is 19th in the world and 6th in Asia. China is first in Asia and the world with 341,000 MW.
The Energy Ministry says there are 55 hydropower stations in Iran (mostly in the Persian Gulf coastal regions) generating at least 30,000 GW hours annually.
Of the total 55 plants, 16 are in the northern Caspian Sea catchment area, 25 in the Persian Gulf, 13 in the Central Plateau and one in the Lake Urumia catchment area.
Based on the ministry data, 17 hydropower plants are under construction, which (when operational) will add 3,500 MW to installed capacity.
Global hydropower installed capacity reached 1,308 gigawatts in 2019, as 50 countries completed greenfield and upgrade projects, including pumped storage.
A total of 15.6 GW in installed capacity was added in 2019. The countries with the highest increases in 2019 were Brazil (4.92 GW), China (4.17 GW) and Laos (1.89 GW).
The region to add the most capacity was East Asia and the Pacific, followed by South America and South and Central Asia.
Hydropower flexible services are in high demand due to the Covid-19 crisis as plant operations have been less affected thanks to automation in modern facilities.
Hydropower expansion in Iran have not been immune to economic impacts, however, with the industry facing widespread uncertainty and liquidity shortages that have put financing of some projects at risk.
