TEHRAN – The second gas unit of Khorramabad Combined Cycle Power Plant with a capacity of 162 megawatts (MW) was connected to the national grid on Sunday as the country approaches the peak summer period, IRNA reported.

According to the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPHC)’s executive director for private power plant projects, with the completion of the power plant’s gas unit, the plant’s total capacity has now reached 324 MW.

“After the implementation of the plant's 160-megawatt steam unit this winter [begins on December 21), the plant's total electricity generation capacity will reach 484 MW,” Amir Doudabinejad said.

According to the official, the construction of the power plant’s gas unit has cost 140 million euros, and the steam units required funding is estimated at 172 million euros, of which about 38 percent is provided by the investors and the remaining 62 percent is going to be provided from facilities by the foreign exchange reserve account and the National Development Fund.

The nominal capacity of electricity generation at Iranian power plants reached 85,500 megawatts [85.5 gigawatts (GW)] following the completion of the development of Parand thermal power plant in early April.

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.

In early April, 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