Azerbaijan, Baku , Nov.12/ Trend F.Milad/
The Iranian electricity industry's production, transmission and distribution operations have achieved 99-percent self-sufficiency despite the international sanctions imposed on Iran, the Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou said, IRIB news reported.
Talking at the sidelines of the 12th International Electricity Exhibition of Iran, Namjou went on to note that Iran exported 3 billion dollars worth of technical and engineering services during the past Iranian calendar year, which ended March 19.
"Iran plans to increase the amount up to 6 billion dollars in the current year and so far has secured half of the amount," he added.
The IRNA News Agency also quoted Namjou as saying that some 17 power plants have been privatized and 27 other plants will be privatized by the end of current Iranian calendar year (March 19, 2013).
Adding that some 44 power plants are currently being privatized, Namjou went on to note that the process of privatization in Iran's power generation sector is in the final stages.
"According to the Constitution, the generation and distribution sectors of the power industry should be privatized and the transmission sector should remain state-owned," he noted.
Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad said in May that Iran will become self-sufficient in manufacturing equipment and goods which are used in the power industry by the end of the current calendar year, which ends on March 19, 2013.
He added that Iran is currently in the 15th place in terms of the electricity generation capacity, the Mehr news agency reported.
The national power generation capacity currently stands at 65.2 GW, he added.
The Energy Ministry plans to increase the electricity generation capacity by 5 GW this calendar year, Behzad said on April 3.
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, Energy Minister Majid Namjou said on February 7.
Iran currently trades power with Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.