A 150-megawatt hydroelectric power plant was inaugurated on Thursday in the city of Behbahan, Khuzestan Province in southern Iran, in a ceremony attended by Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian.
Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, Mohammad Reza Shamsaei, director of Khuzestan Water and Power Authority, said the second phase of Maroun power station, located 19 kilometers from Behbahan, became operational at an estimated cost of $107 million, IRNA reported.
“The Maroun Phase 2, equipped with two turbines, adds 380 gigawatts of electricity to the national grid to improve the stability of power transmission in the province,” he said, noting that the station will not only help heavy industries in the region to thrive but also create much-needed jobs in the province.
According to Shamsaei, the project's first phase went on stream in 2004.
Pointing to the financial resources, he noted that the development of civil project was fully funded by the government's financial resources.
The minister also inaugurated Ario Barzan Dam located 14 kilometers from Behbahan.
"Ario Barzan Dam and Maroun Dam reservoir were built near each other so that the former can regulate the water output from the latter," he said, adding that plans are in place to build a power plant on Ario Barzan Dam consisting of two five-megawatt electricity generators.
According to Mahmoud Dashtbozorg, managing director of Khuzestan Regional Electricity Company, the Jondishapour 400-kilovolt power transmission line also went on stream in the city of Dezful, Khuzestan Province, on Thursday.
"The double circuit 1,100-megavolt-ampere power line was extended up to 1.8 kilometers at a cost of $2.5 million," he said.
Dashtbozorg added that the venture, to be completed in 2020, requires $20 million in investment.
"The substation will help provide much- needed electricity in Dezful to handle peak-hour demands," he said.
Thermal Capacity
According to Hamidreza Azimi, Thermal Power Plants Holding Company's deputy for planning, thermal stations running on fossil fuels to generate power comprise 81.1% of Iran's total electricity production capacity.
"Total electricity production capacity stands at 77,000 MW, over 62,000 MW of which are generated by thermal power plants operated by TPPHC," he said, noting that out of the 62,000 MW, steam-powered power plants, gas-powered stations and combined-cycle plants generate 15,829 MW, 27,258 MW and 19,470 MW respectively.
According to the official, hydropower plants (12,000 MW), Bushehr nuclear plant (1,000 MW) in southern Iran, distributed generation stations (1,500 MW) and renewables (less than 500 MW) constitute the rest of the installed capacity.
Pointing to TPPHC's key role in meeting the country's power demand in 2017, Azimi noted that about 90% of Iran's electricity needs were met by thermal power plants.
"Combined-cycle power plants, playing the leading role, accounted for 35.9% of total production in 2016 by generating 103.9 billion kilowatt-hours," he said, adding that gas-powered plants as well as steam-powered ones produced 76.7 billion kWh and 85 billion kWh respectively.
Asked about Andimeshk Power Plant that is being renovated with the help of F-class turbines, Azimi said several gas-fired power plants in Bandar Abbas, Andimeshk, Omidieh, Hamedan, Buin-Zahra, Salafchegan and Khorramabad are being replaced with combined-cycle plants as part of the drive to help reduce the energy sector's role in air pollution.
