TEHRAN – Iranian energy minister said the investment in the country’s power and water sectors reached over 162.6 trillion rials (over $3.87 billion) in the last Iranian calendar year of 1397 (ended on March 20, 2019), IRNA reported. 

According to Reza Ardakanian, more than 1,115 villages were connected to the country’s pipeline water network and nine desalination plants were also inaugurated which would be able to supply 913,000 people with drinkable water. 

The minister noted that with new dams going operational last year, 1.1 billion cubic meters of water has been stored and 215 megawatts of power generation capacity is added to the total capacity of the country’s power plants.

“Last year 126 MW of capacity was also added to the country’s solar power plants.” He added.

In January 2018, the energy ministry’s news portal reported that some 5301 water and electricity projects were going to be inaugurated on the occasion of Ten-Day Dawn (February 1-10, marking the victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution).

As reported by IRIB, some 5119 electricity transmission and distribution projects worth 27.23 trillion rials (near $602.5 million), over 183 megawatts capacity of renewable projects, seven power plants projects worth $2.09 billion, 100 water projects worth 101.419 trillion rials (about $2.24 billion) and 32 water resources management projects worth 3.278 trillion rials (about $72.5 million) were among the projects which were due to be implemented or inaugurated.

EF/MA