Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan Province in Iran’s northwest, is witnessing a much-awaited development in the expansion of its electricity infrastructure.
“Electricity is a key component of sustainable growth. We have plans for improving power generation efficiency in six power plants,” the CEO of East Azarbaijan Power Generation Management Co., Nasser Moeini told a press conference at the Tabriz Power Plant premises on Thursday.
The major power generation company is located in an area that supplies electricity to a large number of households and industries. Moeini says the public utility “has the potential to export electricity” to neighboring Turkey, Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan – three countries with which Iran has close economic and political relations.
The EAPGMC chief said output will increase at the Tabriz Thermal Power Station, which has 2 units each generating 350 MW
EAPGMC average output is close to 1590 MW.
Power generation capacity growth at EAPGMC for the current fiscal that began in March is 13.9 %, he added. “With almost the same growth rates in other power plants, there is still a gap between supply and demand” and this has compelled the Energy Ministry to create conditions to curb demand and encourage judicious consumption.
Given the systemic increase in demand, the ministry is apparently “pushing contractors to complete some power-related projects” to be able to avoid shortages and blackouts next summer, the official told reporters.
The EAPGMC chief noted that plans call for increasing output at the Tabriz Thermal Power Station. “This plant has 2 units with each now generating 350 MW. We have plans to boost each unit’s production to 368 MW.”
Heris Combined Cycle Power Plant
One of the projects crucial for the northwest region is the Heris Combined Cycle Power Plant 93km northeast of Tabriz. “It is among the first power plants that uses F class turbine which has a high-efficiency rate.”
“Construction of Heris combined cycle power plant with 2500 MW capacity began in the middle of 2017 and we hope to start producing at least 310 MW before the 2019 summer sets in,” Iman Abdi, the Heris project manager, told the press briefing.
He put the construction cost of the Heris plant at €240 million plus 340 billion rials.
The Maku Power Plant located in one of the province’s free zones is another important project in the northwest ready to come on stream.
Agreement for construction of this power plant was signed last year between a private company and the Maku Free Zone Organization to add 100-150 MW annually within ten years, Saeed Pashapoor, CEO of the power plant told the reporters.
“Other industries, namely a petrochemical unit, a steel factory and a refinery will be built in the Maku Free Zone thanks to the power plant,” he said.
Seventy percent of the construction cost of the electricity plant was provided by a foreign company, he said, without providing details.
First phase of the Maku Power Plant, with 80 MW capacity, will be inaugurated next week. President Hassan Rouhani is expected to attend.
