TEHRAN – Thermal power plants are generating nearly 92 percent of Iran’s needed electricity, said Mohsen Tarztalab, head of Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPH).

Only eight percent of the country's electricity need is supplied by hydropower and renewable power plants, IRNA reported on Friday, quoting Tarztalab as saying.

According to the official, Iran’s current electricity is supplied by thermal power plants, including steam, gas and combined cycle power plants, as well as non-thermal power plants, including hydropower, renewable energy, diesel, small-scale and nuclear power plants.

He put the total installed capacity of the country's power plants at 83,264 megawatts (MW), of which the share of steam, gas, combined cycle, hydroelectric, and renewable power plants stands at 15,800 MW, 25,400 MW, 25,790 MW, 12,000 MW, and 825 MW respectively.

There are 84 power plants with 544 thermal electricity generation units across the country, over two-thirds of which are owned and operated by the country’s private sector.

According to the Iranian Energy Ministry, the power generation capacity of Iran’s thermal power plants has increased by 9,000 megawatts (9GW) over the past six years.

EF/MG