Power Generation Up

Iran produced 187,787 gigawat-hours of electricity in the first nine months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), a report by Energy Ministry said.

In the mentioned period, some 178,558 gigawatt-hours of this figure were produced by thermal units while 9,228 gigawatt-hours were generated by hydroelectric units, IRNA reported.

In the same duration, the output of thermal power plants indicated a 0.65 percent decrease compared to the figure for the same period last year and that of hydroelectric power plants showed 13.73 percent growth against the figure for the preceding year.

The total energy supplied during March 21-December 21 was 190,592 gigawatt-hours which is 0.13 percent higher than the figure for a year ago.

In another development, Energy Ministry announced that the country exported more than 6,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity to its neighbors in the past nine months.

The ministry said this reflects a 23.75 percent growth over the amount for the same period last year. It attributed the rise to the implementation of the government’s Subsidy Reform Plan.

Iran’s electricity network is linked to the power grids of seven neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan.

The Subsidy Reform Plan has enabled the Iranian government to gradually reduce energy subsidies over the course of five years, with low-income families compensated with direct cash handouts.
The initial stage of the plan was implemented in October last year when the Iranian administration deposited cash payments into bank accounts of eligible heads of households.

The International Monetary Fund has commended Tehran on its early accomplishments in cutting energy and food subsidies without triggering higher prices to fuel inflation.

Meanwhile, Iranian Energy Minister said Bushehr nuclear plant will add 1,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20).

“Generation of 1,000 megawatts of electricity from Bushehr power plant (as its final production capacity) necessitates final tests and the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), both of which are being carried out,” Majid Namjou said.

“Generators have passed initial tests and we are waiting for the IAEA to announce its readiness” to take the synchronization and connection-related measures, he added, IRNA reported.

Namjou said that Iran has successfully conducted the tests to connect 100, 300, 400 and 500 megawatts of nuclear power to the national grid and there is no concern over generating 1,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity. So far, about 500 megawatts of nuclear power have been added to the national grid, the minister added.

Iran signed a deal with Russia in 1995, under which Bushehr plant was scheduled to be completed in 1999. This comes while the completion of the project was repeatedly delayed and the nuclear power plant was finally finished with the help of Russia following a three-decade delay.

Bushehr, which is Iran’s first nuclear power plant, operates under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. AEOI has already announced that the facility is quake-proof and will never experience a situation similar to the one faced by crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. According to the AEOI, the safety systems used at Bushehr meet the latest international standards.