Over 2,000MW of new power capacity added to national grid

TEHRAN- Iran has added 2,028 megawatts of new power plant capacity to its national grid, achieving 75 percent of the 2,709-megawatt target for the current Iranian calendar year (began on March 21), according to the Thermal Power Generation Company.

Ruhollah Esfahani, Deputy for Project Development, announced that despite challenging conditions over the past seven months, no power plant development projects were halted. Key achievements include the 183-megawatt gas unit at Neka Power Plant, commissioned in 99 days, and the 345-megawatt steam unit at Rudshur—the largest of its scale in the West Asia, with 58 percent efficiency and annual fuel savings of over 700 million liters.

Steam units at Asaluyeh and Ferdowsi power plants were also commissioned, completing the 18-unit package under a 3,000-megawatt contract. The first geothermal power plant, located on Sabalan's slopes with 5.4 megawatts capacity, is now operational and can supply power continuously for 95 percent of the year.

Masoud Moradi, Deputy for Production Operations, reported that thermal power plants account for over 93 percent of the country's 101,366-megawatt installed capacity. Despite winter fuel shortages and war-related disruptions, maintenance programs were largely completed, achieving a record 98.8 percent readiness rate during peak consumption and reducing emergency outages to just 1.2 percent.

Two additional units—a 300-megawatt combined-cycle steam unit and a 183-megawatt gas unit—are scheduled to come online soon, adding another 490 megawatts to the grid. Moradi also urged public cooperation in consumption management during the remaining hot weeks.

EF/MA