TEHRAN - The new head of Iran’s Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPH) said the electricity generation capacity in the country’s thermal power plants will increase by 16,000 megawatts (MW) to reduce the country's power supply and demand imbalance.

Speaking in his introduction ceremony on Monday, Abolfazl Asgari said: “Development of power plants and increasing electricity generation will be the main goal of the TPPH during his tenure.”

According to Asgari, currently 93 percent of the country’s electricity is supplied by thermal power plants.

In early May, the former head of TPPH said the country is the world’s ninth-biggest producer of thermal electricity.

Mentioning an increase of 9,000 megawatts (MW) in the capacity of the country’s thermal power plants over the past two years, Abdolrasoul Pishahang said thermal power plants currently account for 92 percent of Iran’s total power production capacity.

“Last year, 389 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were produced in the country's power plants, and thermal power plants with the production of 360 billion kilowatt-hours supplied 92.5 percent of the country's electricity needs,” Pishahang said.

Stating that last year more than 2,000 MW were added to the capacity of thermal power plants in the country, the official added: “The readiness factor of thermal power plants reached 98 percent during the peak period of last year, and we are trying to record a very good performance this year as well.”

Emphasizing that 50 percent of the country's power plants are domestically built, he said: “Currently, 95 percent of the equipment needed by the country's power plants is made by domestic experts, and by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2025), with the production of F-class turbine blades in the country, we will be completely self-sufficient in the field of manufacturing these types of turbines.”

Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi has said his ministry is pursuing 14 major plans to prepare the country’s electricity sector for passing next summer’s peak consumption period.

Speaking at a meeting with managers of the country’s electricity sector, Aliabadi said: “Maintaining water reserves for maximum use of the capacity of hydroelectric power plants, developing the capacity of renewable power plants, performing power plant overhauls on time, removing the limitations of the power grid, and paying special attention to promoting consumption awareness are among the measures that the ministry is going to take to pass the next year’s peak summer period.”

The minister stated that the stable supply of electricity during the next year’s peak consumption period depends on the timely repairs of the power plants in the current year, adding: “It is also necessary to create new ways to engage people in consumption management programs by raising awareness.”

Emphasizing the necessity of the strict implementation of the programs set with the aim of providing stable electricity in the coming winter and next summer, he said: “Due to the reduction of electricity consumption in the cold season of the year, it is necessary to pay special attention to the timely repair and eliminating power plant problems so that we can produce and supply electricity with the maximum available capacity at the peak consumption period of the next year.”

The official further pointed out the importance of informing and reforming the mechanisms of dialogue with the people about the electricity industry and stated: “One of the major challenges of the country's electricity industry is the high consumption of a small group of subscribers in various sectors, especially the household sector. We need to draw new mechanisms for interaction and dialogue with the people while increasing their awareness in this regard, to increase their participation in consumption management and optimization.”

EF/MA