With a capacity of 160 megawatts, the unit was cost $150 million, the Energy Ministry news portal Paven reported.
To meet rising electricity demand in the region and improve efficiency of the gas-fired power plant, the station is being converted into a combined cycle plant. Construction of two more steam units is also underway.
The capacity of each unit is 160 MW and when all three steam units come on stream power generation capacity of the complex will rise to 480 MW and help save 783 million cubic meters of gas annually.
Built in 2009, Urmia Power Plant already has six gas units with total production capacity of 954 MW. It delivers power to consumers through a network that includes a 230 KV substation.
Upon completion of the steam units, electricity generation of the plant will reach 1,434 MW and its efficiency will increase from 32% now to 48%.
There are many gas-fired power plants in Iran with a capacity of more than 20,000 MW but operating at 32% efficiency.
Construction of steam units near gas turbines and converting conventional power stations into combined-cycle power will increase efficiency to nearly 45%.
Eco-Friendly
Combined-cycle power plant is more eco-friendly than conventional power stations as they emit less greenhouse gasses. Energy from a thermal plant not used for power production leaves the plant in the form of heat into the environment.
A combined-cycle power plant uses both gas and steam turbines to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel input than a traditional plant. The waste heat from the gas turbine is rerouted to a steam turbine, which in turn generates more power.
Isfahan Power Plant in the eponymous central province generated more than two billion kilowatt hours of electricity in the first six months of the current Persian calendar year, compared to the same period last year.
According to Paven, the plant produced 2.042 million kWh of electricity in the first half of this year, which was up 26% compared to same period last year months.
Located in the southwest of Isfahan and on the banks of Zayandehroud River, it is a steam power plant with five units and 835 MW capacity.
A steam power plant consists of a boiler, steam turbine and generator, and other auxiliaries. The boiler generates steam at high pressure and high temperature. The steam turbine converts the heat energy of steam into mechanical energy. The generator then converts the mechanical energy into electric power.