Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 28
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
Iran is currently the biggest electricity producer in the Middle East, the Managing Director of Iran Power Generation Transmission & Distribution Management Company (TAVANIR) Homayoun Haeri said on Jan. 26, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.
"Iran's total electricity generation currently stands at 70,000 megawatt hours," he said.
Haeri went on to note that next Iranian calendar year (to start on March 21), some 600 megawatt hours will be added to the country's electricity generation capacity by inauguration of some renewable energy projects.
The head of Iran Electrical Industry Syndicate, Mohammad Parsa, said on Jan. 21 that Iran's private sector accounts for only 5 percent of the country's total electricity generation, the Iranian SHANA News Agency reported.
Iranian Deputy Minister Houshang Falahatian had previously said that the private sector's share is around 40 per cent.
Haeri said in November that Iran is now the world's 14th biggest owner of solar power plants.
"The country's total potential for producing solar and wind energy is estimated to be around 40 million and 100,000 megawatt hours," he said.
Iran currently trades power with Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.
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.