TEHRAN – The nominal capacity of electricity generation at Iranian power plants has reached 85,500 megawatts [85.5 gigawatts (GW)] following the completion of the development of Parand thermal power plant, IRNA reported on Thursday.

Speaking in the inauguration ceremony of the said project, the Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Homayoun Haeri noted that with the addition of three 160 MW steam units to the Parand power plant (near the capital Tehran), 480 MW has been added to its total electricity generation capacity.

He put the mentioned power plant’s total power generation capacity at 1,503 MW.

“The addition of these three units saves the country 850 million cubic meters of natural gas annually because instead of fuel consumption, hot steam from the gas turbine outlets is used in the steam units,” Haeri added.

Iran’s total power generation capacity stood at about 83,350 MW at the end of the past Iranian calendar year 1398 (March 19), up from the 80,000 MW of its preceding year.

Currently, combined cycle power plants account for the biggest share in the country’s total power generation capacity followed by gas power plants.

Earlier this week, Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian announced that the ministry plans to inaugurate 12 thermal power plants with a total capacity of 2,100 MW as well as hundreds of solar and wind farms and other small scale power stations.

According to the minister, following a program called “A-B-Iran”, the Iranian Energy Ministry is going to inaugurate 250 major water and electricity projects worth 500 trillion rials (about $11.9 billion) during the current calendar year (ends on March 20, 2021).

EF/MA