TEHRAN- Iran’s total daily electricity exports to the neighboring countries stands at 1400 megawatts (MW), IRIB reported on Thursday, quoting an electricity official.

According to the Deputy Head of Iran Electricity Industry Syndicate Payam Baqeri, of the mentioned figure 1,200 MW is exported to Iraq and the rest goes to Afghanistan and Pakistan, each 100 MW.

“These figures show that Iran currently does not have significant electricity exports to the neighboring countries,” Baqeri said.

The official noted that most of Iran’s neighboring countries greatly rely on electricity imports because of their poor infrastructure and networks and Iran should take advantage of this opportunity.

Based on the country’s Sixth Five-Year National Development Plan (2016-2021), Iran was planned to become an energy hub in the region and the government needs to take necessary measures to achieve this goal, he added.

“If the country wants to become the region's electricity hub, it will undoubtedly need to increase its electricity exports capacity to neighboring countries, while synchronizing its networks with them,” he explained.

Iran has had electricity exchanges with most of its neighbors namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Iraq, as well as the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic among which Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been solely importers of Iran’s electricity.

The country recently synchronized its electricity network with that of Iraq in order to be able to boost its power cooperation in the future.

EF/MA