Tehran, Iran, Dec. 19
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Tehran province's hydroelectric dams produced over 153,000 megawatt hours of electricity in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 - September 22).
The figure is 29 percent less than the same period last year, Fars News Agency reported Dec.19.
The province's dams produced 216,246 megawatt hours of electricity in the first six months of last year, while the figure reached 309,711 megawatt hours by the end of year.
Iran's production capacity has surpassed 71,000 megawatt hours.
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.
The country currently trades power with Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.
Deputy Energy Minister Sattar Mahmoudi said in November 2013 that Iran annually exports 8 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to neighboring countries.
"The mentioned figure is about 3 percent of the country's total output," the ILNA News Agency quoted Mahmoudi as saying.
"Iran has electricity ties with all the neighboring countries," he said, adding that Tehran eyes to export electricity to Europe via Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan.
Deputy Energy Minister Esmaeel Mahsouli said on October 8 that Iran plans to trade 500 megawatt of electricity with Russia.
"Based on the agreement, Iran will import the mentioned amount in summer, and export the same amount in winter," Iran's ISNA News Agency reported.
The electricity will be transferred through Azerbaijan.
Tehran also plans to trade 200 megawatt of electricity with Azerbaijan.
"Due to the low capacity of Azerbaijan power greed we will start with trading 100 megawatt and eventually increase the figure to 200 megawatts," he said.
Edited by CN