Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 23/ Trend M. Moezzi
Iran is ready to increase electricity exports to its neighbours, especially Pakistan, the Mehr news agency reported an energy ministry official as saying.
Iran's Ministry of Energy is working to increasing electricity production capacity and has also been helped by a substantial drop in consumers' electricity use due to the government's targeted subsidies programme, said Ali Zabihi, a deputy energy minister.
Since the programme began a year ago, Iran's consumption of electricity has dropped by 10 per cent, saving an average of 3600 megawatts a day.
This frees Iran up to increase its export, especially to Pakistan which currently imports 100 megawatts. It has now asked for 200 more megawatts which would eventually be increased to 1000 megawatts of electricity in the future.
With the targeted subsidies programme in effect, Iran has exported more electricity than ever before, selling 25 per cent more this year than last, said Mr Zabihi (Iran's solar year ends in March). It has sold more than 6700 gig watts of power so far this year, compared to 5375 gig watts for the same period a year before.
The Iranian government pays each citizen $45 a month as compensation for a part of commodities and energy subsides cut when the targeted subsidies programme began. Ending the energy subsidies was expected to drive down Iranians' energy consumption.
Iran exchanges energy with Armenia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan Iraq and Afghanistan