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Iran power exports rise 25 per cent

  • 7 years ago (2017-10-16)
  • David Flin
Middle East 326 Transmission 191

Iran’s electricity exports rose nearly 25 per cent in the first six months of the current fiscal year (March to September) compared to the same period a year ago, according to Houshang Falahtian, Iran’s Deputy Energy Minister. He said: “Around 5.16 GWh of electricity were exported to Iran’s neighbours in six months, compared to 4.14 GWh in the first half of the previous fiscal.”

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Iran trades electricity with four neighbours on its northwest and western borders, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, and Iraq. Falahtian said that despite high domestic demand, Iran has been able to fulfil all of its export commitments to these countries during the hot summer days.

According to a report issued by the Energy Ministry, Iran’s revenue from power exports came to $3.37 billion between September 2013 and May 2017. Falahtian pointed to plans to increase the country’s power grid sustainability, and noted that Iran has embarked on joint ventures to synchronise its electricity network with those of regional countries. “Iran Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Company (Tavanir) is in talks to synchronise Iran’s electricity network with that of Iraq in a collaboration that could potentially be extended to other neighbours. The initiative will not only pave the way to connect the grid with other neighbouring states, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, but also enables Iran to promote its electricity exports to Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

According to Alireza Daemi, Deputy Energy Minister for International Affairs, Iranian private sector contractors are undertaking 70 projects overseas. Referring to a third electricity line that is being constructed to connect the grids of Iran and Armenia, he said that the new line, which has registered a work-in-progress rate of 25 per cent, will be completed by the end of 2018 at an estimated cost of $107 million. The line is part of an agreement involving Iran, Russia, Armenia, and Georgia to synchronise their power grids by 2019, paving the way for electricity exchange between Iran and Russia as part of their cooperation plans.