Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 29/ Trend M. Moezzi
Iran can earn up to $1.2 billion on electricity exports to other countries, Mehr News Agency reported.
The country exported nearly 50 percent more electricity to neighboring countries in the first half of this year compared to 2011 and is working to increase its export capacity to Turkey by four times.
At present, the Islamic Republic is predicted to export 10 billion kilowatts of electricity and will earn $1.2 billion by the end of the Iranian year (Iran's solar year ends on March 19), Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad told Mehr news agency.
Iran currently exchanges electricity with all its neighbors, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, Turkmenistan.
The electricity exported by Iran to Turkey could increase four-fold when construction is finished on several facilities in that country's Van region. At present, Tehran provides its neighbor with more than 400 MW of power and will have the capacity to boost those exports to 1,200 MW annually, Mohammad Behzad said.
From March to September, Iran provided its neighbors with 5,743 GW of electricity, or 46 percent more compared to the same period of last year.