TEHRAN - Iran’s thermal power plants generated over 24 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-April 20), an official with the Thermal Power Plants Holding (TPPH) announced.

According to Esmail Namazi, the director of TPPH’s Production and Technical Office, the electricity generation by the country's thermal power plants increased by six percent compared to the same month last year.

Combined-cycle power plants accounted for 63 percent of the mentioned figure, and electricity generation by such power plant units also increased by six percent compared ot the previous year.

The official noted that the country’s thermal power plants are completely ready to supply sustained power during the summer peak consumption period.

Earlier this month, Namazi said the electricity generation capacity in the country’s thermal power plants increased by over 965 megawatts (MW) in the previous Iranian year with the assistance of domestic knowledge-based companies.

The electricity generation capacity of Iran’s power plants increased by more than 965 MW last year with the implementation of projects to boost the power of gas-fired and combined-cycle power plants and remove restrictions in the steam power units in cooperation with the local knowledge-based companies, he explained.

The Thermal Power Plants Holding Company inaugurated several new power plants in the previous Persian year and came up with plans to raise the electricity generation capacity of the existing power stations, the official noted.

He said projects to generate over 2,000 MW of electricity have been implemented across Iran since the current administration assumed office in August 2021.

The director of Iran Power Plant Repairs Company (IPRC) said in February that Iran is the forerunner in West Asia in the field of repairing thermal power plants.

The nominal capacity of Iran’s power plants reached 92,055 MW in the previous Iranian calendar year, according to the latest data released by Iran Grid Management Company (IGMC).

As reported, the capacity of the country's gas power plants, which account for 25.3 percent of the country's total power generation capacity, also increased by 3.1 percent to 23,330 MW in the past year.

The total capacity of renewable power plants also increased by 20 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 1,120 MW.

Most of Iran’s power generation capacity is supplied by thermal power plants. Currently, combined cycle power plants account for the biggest share of the country’s total power generation capacity followed by gas power plants.

The total capacity of the country’s thermal power plants stands at over 72,000 MW, according to the Thermal Power Plant Holding.

Increasing the country’s power generation capacity and preventing blackouts during peak consumption periods have been among the Iranian Energy Ministry’s top priorities since the current government administration took office in 2021.

EF/