TEHRAN – Iran’s Deputy Energy Minister Homayoun Haeri says the country has developed into an electricity hub in the region, having power exchanges with many of its neighbors.

“We are an energy hub in the region and we seek to have electricity exchange with all the neighboring countries,” Haeri told ILNA.

Commenting on the trend of electricity exports to the neighboring countries, the official said: "We now have electricity exchanges with Turkmenistan, exports to Iraq are underway, we also have exports to Afghanistan.”

He noted that the Iranian power network is connected to Turkmenistan and Iraq networks and the country both exports and imports electricity from Turkmenistan.

“Exports to Iraq continue, and a two-year contract was signed during the Energy Minister's recent visit to Iraq,” he said pointing to electricity trade with Iraq.

"We have a good relationship with Iraq in terms of energy exchange," he said. "During the minister's visit to Baghdad, we received 50 percent of the country's electricity dues…. We are trying to establish banking connections in order to receive the rest of the debts as well.”

He also mentioned the exports to Afghanistan, saying: "In the past few years, we have exported some electricity to parts of this country, and its amount varies between 100 and 120 megawatts (MW)."

The official finally noted that the country’s total electricity exports vary depending on the hot and cold seasons of the year, but electrical communication with neighboring countries continues.

Iran’s nominal electricity generation capacity reached 85,500 megawatts [85.5 gigawatts (GW)] in April.

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

According to Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian 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 in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2021).

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 year.

EF/MA