Mostafa Rajabi-Mashhadi, during a visit to the Shiraz Power Distribution Company, referred to the 50% reduction in the country's electricity imbalance since the beginning of the government's activities. He emphasized that the electricity imbalance this year has decreased by about 30% compared to last year. This trend has been achieved due to the development of new power plants, increased capacity of solar power plants, and consumption management.
Increase in Energy Supply for Industries
The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy stated that this year, despite existing limitations, the amount of energy supplied to energy-intensive industries such as steel and cement has increased by 14% compared to last year. Additionally, the electricity supplied to petrochemical industries has also seen a significant increase. These measures have been taken to support the continuity of production and the activities of industrial units.
Read more: Ministry of Energy's Measures for Sustainable Electricity Supply in Winter
New Mechanisms for Supplying Electricity to Industries
Rajabi-Mashhadi also announced the establishment of new mechanisms for supplying the electricity needed by large industries through imports. With the removal of some structural barriers and the possibility of electricity transit from the national grid, large industries, especially petrochemical units that have lost part of their electricity production capacity, can use their foreign currency resources to directly import electricity from neighboring countries.
He also mentioned the damage to some self-sufficient power plants of industries and petrochemicals, stating that about 4,700 megawatts of capacity from power plants belonging to industries and petrochemicals have been taken offline for various reasons, and it is expected that by the end of the year, at most half of this capacity will return to the grid.
Regional Cooperation and Capacity Development
The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy discussed regional cooperation in the electricity sector, stating that the private sector can now utilize the capacity for importing electricity from neighboring countries, and arrangements have been made to secure electricity from northern countries of Iran. Contracts have been signed with Turkmenistan and Armenia for electricity supply, which can help improve the electricity supply situation in the country.
Ahmadreza Khosravi, CEO of the Shiraz Power Distribution Company, also emphasized the importance of network stability as a fundamental requirement for the continuity of economic and production activities. He added that overcoming the electricity imbalance challenge requires coordinated actions in the areas of production, transmission, distribution, and consumption management.
Khosravi also requested that for the implementation of development projects and strengthening the network infrastructure, support and necessary resources be provided by members of parliament and executive bodies.
In conclusion, Rajabi-Mashhadi emphasized the importance of developing new electricity production capacities, stating that planning for increasing the capacity of solar power plants and constructing new power plants is on the agenda.
Read more: Deputy Executive of the President: Balancing Fuel Prices is Not on the Agenda · Iran's Electricity Imbalance; Achieving 2000 Megawatts from the 7000 Megawatt Solar Power Plant Plan
