Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.24/ Trend F.Milad
Iran's hydroelectric power output will be increased by 1500mw by the end of the current Iranian calendar year which began March 20.
Iran's current hydroelectric output stands at 9255mw, the ISNA News Agency quoted Mohammad-Reza Rezazadeh as saying.
Some other projects with a capacity of 4000 MW are also underway, he said.
The managing director of Iran Power Plant Projects Management Company (MAPNA), Abbas Aliabadi, said earlier this month that the country needs to find some ways to make the electricity production process cheaper.
Aliabadi went on to note that electricity is vital for a country's development and fuel is the key factor in generating electricity.
"Currently Iran uses coal for generating 40 to 43 per cent of its electricity and will continue this process until 2040," he explained.
Iran also needs to invest in different power related projects such as gas power plants, combined cycle power plants, hydroelectric power plants and wind power plants in order to diversify the needed fuels, he said.
The managing director of Iran power generation transmission and distribution management company (TAVANIR), Homayoun Haeri, announced on December 15 that Iran currently trades 12.3 gig watt hours of electricity with neighbouring countries.
Iran plans to boost its electricity cooperation with the Persian Gulf region's countries, the IRNA News Agency quoted Homayoun Haeri as saying.
Haeri had said in January that Iran will exchange up to 15 billion kilowatt hours (BkWh) of electricity with its neighbouring countries by the end of the current calendar year (March 19, 2012), up 50 per cent year on year.
Iran seeks to become a major regional exporter of electricity and has attracted more than $1.1 billion in investments for the construction of three new power plants.
Iran's installed power generation capacity is currently about 67 gig watts (GW).
The Energy Ministry plans to increase electricity generation capacity by 5GW this calendar year which ends on March 20, 2013.
By the end of the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (March 2016), Iran will boost its electricity generation capacity by 25GW to reach 73GW, Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou said on February 7.