Iran to Increase Power Exchanges with Neighbors

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iran is mulling plans to boost power exchanges with the regional states, specially neighbors, a senior official said.

News ID: 68278

Date: 25 January 2018 - 17:30

The energy ministry is planning to increase its electric power exchanges with regional countries, including Russia, Tajikistan and the Persian Gulf littoral states, Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Alireza Daemi said on Wednesday.

Iran is in pursuit of creating an electric power transmission network in the region, he added.

The Iranian energy ministry, based on its vision plan, is working toward turning the country into a strategic electric power hub, Daemi said.

"The current power grid network and the exchanges of electric power enable Iran to be connected to Georgia via Armenia's power grid and to Slovenia and Europe via Turkey," the deputy energy minister said.

Daemi said that presently Iran is exchanging electric power with seven countries, including Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Iraq as well as the Nakhchivan.

Moreover, he said that Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan import electric power from Iran.

In relevant remarks in October, a senior energy official announced that Iran exported 10 billion kilowatts of electricity to the neighboring states last year.

"Iran's export of electricity has exceeded its imports in recent years with a difference of 6 billion kilowatts," Deputy Energy Minister Houshang Falahatian said.

"We exported 10 billion kilowatts of electricity last year while our import of the same commodity was only 4 kilowatts," he added.

The official reiterated that Iran is willing and has the capacity to meet the demands of neighboring countries for electricity.

"Iran also imports 4 billion kilowatts of electricity from its neighbors per annum, adding however, in the past few years, electricity exports have always exceeded its imports," he added.

Falahatian said that revenues from electricity export are mainly dependent on the fluctuations in global oil prices, adding, "Iran earns between $700 million and $1.2 billion per annum from the electricity exports."