Iran exporting 10bn kWh of electricity annually: Energy official

Speaking to the Tehran-based English language newspaper Iran Daily on the sidelines of the 23rd Tehran Press Exhibition, Houshang Falahatian said Iran is also willing and has the capacity to meet the demands of neighboring countries for electricity.

He added Iran also imports 4 billion kWh of electricity from its neighbors per annum, adding however, in the past few years, electricity exports have always exceeded its imports, IRNA reported.

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

The deputy minister expressed satisfaction with the fact that Iran's electricity distribution network has, in the past few years, been linked to those of the neighboring states.

He listed Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Nakhchivan as the neighboring countries whose electricity networks are linked with that of Iran and with which the Middle East state currently exchanges electricity.

Falahatian said, 'We are willing to, in the form of long-term contracts, increase electricity exports to our neighbors including Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan that are interested in boosting imports from Iran.'

The Energy Ministry has currently managed to guarantee sustainable electricity supply to domestic consumers, he added, noting, 'We are also meeting a portion of the electricity demands of neighboring countries.'

He put Iran's installed power plant capacity at 77,600 megawatts, adding the country ranks 14th in the world in this regard.

Falahatian said in summer, electricity consumption hit an all-time peak of 55,442 megawatts, adding domestic electricity consumption since mid-March 2017 showed a 7.3-percent growth year-on-year.

'Over the past few years, Iran's power sector has always ranked first in the country in the export of techno-engineering services. To find new export markets, the related Iranian state organizations and apparatuses, such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration and the Central Bank of Iran, are required to increase and improve their interactions and coordination, respectively, with their foreign counterparts. To this end, Iranian traders involved in this field should also acquire the necessary expertise.'