TEHRAN — Japan International Cooperation Agency has begun surveys as well as a pilot project aiming to both improve energy efficiency and mitigate air pollution in Iran in association with the Japanese private sector.

The project titled “Verification Survey with the Private Sector for Disseminating Japanese Technologies for Improving the Output of Existing Gas Turbine with Inlet Air Cooling System on Islamic Republic of Iran” 
was officially initiated over a ceremony held at Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPH) with officials from Ikeuchi [the Japanese enterprise in charge of implementing the pilot project in Iran] in Tehran on Wednesday. 

The project is in the framework of JICA's support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The rate of electrical energy demand is expected to be increased by 6.5 percent annually and additional 25.6GW electrical energy is required until 2020. Considering a future economic development that can lead to improvement in living standards, it is essential to reinforce power generation capacity.

Installation of new gas turbine combined cycle power plant construction plan, which can increase in production of natural gas, has been delayed due to labor shortage and economic slump caused by foreign currency shortage. Additionally, the Health Ministry announced that, due to air pollution, up to 4,450 Tehran residents died last year and number of patient increased roughly by 30 percent. Under such circumstances, in order to decrease negative environmental impacts power plants must be equipped with modern facilities. 

Furthermore, in the Islamic Republic of Iran roughly 20 percent of power generation source is oil, without exhaust gas treatment facility equipped in the city, which results in discharge of sulfur oxide and dust causing severe air pollution.

This survey aims to verify effectiveness of the inlet air cooling system for improving the output of existing gas turbine. The survey also aims to explore ways to disseminate the product in Islamic Republic of Iran.

The system use hydraulic nozzles (LYOHM Nozzles) with atomization performance in the world's highest level. It automatically sprays appropriate volume of water as a function of outside air temperature and humidity.

If additional products such as gas turbine protection are required due to installing the system, Thermal Power Plants Holding Company is responsible for providing and installing these products. In this process, JICA Survey Team will provide Thermal Power Plants Holding Company advice on how to minimize the negative impacts on existing equipment.

“Iran now faces the drastic increase of the energy demand. In order to fulfill the demand of economic development and ensure the quality of living standards of the population, it is essential to reinforce power generation capacity,” Chief Representative, JICA Iran Office Yukiharu Kobayashi said on Wednesday. 

Furthermore, in the Islamic Republic of Iran roughly 20 percent of power generation source is fuel oil, without exhaust gas treatment facility equipped in the city, discharge sulfur oxide and dust caused severe air pollution, Kobayashi noted.

He went on to say that considering this situation, Government and executive agencies, such as TPPH is required to develop and implement the proper policies and measures for balanced energy demand and supply and increase of the efficiency of power generation in Iran.

For the achievement to this purpose, Japanese enterprises’ highly developed technological resources can assist this country, he highlighted. 

Ikeuchi [the Japanese enterprise in charge implementing the pilot project in Iran] has an outstanding advantage in fog technology which plays a significant role in quality improvements of electronic device manufacturing and printing. Fog serves to improve the global environment, from combating global warming, to dust pollution control contributes to our industries, and to mankind.

I expect TPPH to introduce this effective technology in the framework of this cooperation firstly, and then, enhance to spread it to the territory in Iran in the future, Kobayashi concluded.

Electricity is important for life

Ikeuchi General Manager for Cooling Division Nobuaki Umeda, for his part, explained about the importance of electricity saying “In 2011, we had a huge earthquake, many of Japanese passed away. In addition, all nuclear power plants were shut down. Therefore, we realized that electricity is Important for the life throughout Japan.” 

“We had installed our spray nozzle system in most of gas turbines in Japan to decrease the temperature of inlet air, therefore we could play a part to increase the power output from the gas turbine,” Umeda said.

Improving power generation efficiency ‘essential’

Gholamerza Mehrdad, General Manager of Generation Technical Support Thermal Power Plants Holding Company, also said that energy demand in Iran is increasing and therefore it is very essential to take some measures to increase the efficiency of power generation. 

“We believe the technology of Ikeuchi in manufacturing the nozzles for the cooling system can be very helpful and hope in the future, other power plants can buy the technology from the Japanese Company after receiving the good result from this study as a pilot project,” he pointed. 

MQ/MG