TEHRAN – Iran plans to boost the power generation capacity of its steam power plants by more than 700 megawatts in the current Iranian year (ending March 2026) through a series of efficiency-enhancement projects, a senior energy official said.

Ali-Asghar Abdoli, Director General of the Supervision and Optimization Office at Iran's Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPH), said that steam power plants currently account for 20 percent of Iran’s total installed thermal capacity and produce 24 percent of the electricity generated by thermal units, IRIB reported.

Abdoli noted that despite their critical role, the average age of steam power plants in Iran exceeds 40 years, with no new steam units added in the past two decades. Aging infrastructure and outdated technology have led to reduced efficiency and capacity, necessitating urgent investment and refurbishment.

In preparation for peak summer demand, the company has identified production bottlenecks and designed targeted plans to restore and stabilize output from steam plants. These efforts are focused on resolving issues in cooling systems (condensers and cooling towers), boilers, steam cycles, and turbines.

According to Abdoli, 600 megawatts of the projected capacity increase will come from government-operated plants and the remaining 100 megawatts from private sector steam plants. The projects are being carried out using domestic expertise and the support of knowledge-based companies, enhancing not only capacity but also operational efficiency across the network.

The projects are under continuous monitoring to ensure timely execution and performance improvements.

EF/MA