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Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian on Thursday broke ground on a 890 megawatt combined cycle power plant (CCPP) project in Khorramabad. Lorestan Province. The project is in line with government moves to boost electricity generation via combined-cycle power stations.
“The power station is slated to run on highly-efficient F-Class turbines that have an efficiency of 58% or higher. Chitchian said on the sidelines of the power project`s groundbreaking ceremony in Khorramabad. some 500 kilometers southwest of Tehran. IRNA reported.
The project is scheduled to be completed in four years and cost of $780 million.
A combined-cycle power plant produces up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than a traditional simple-cycle plant. The waste heat from the gas turbine is routed to the nearby steam turbine. which generates extra power.
According to Chitchian. Iran is among a handful of countries with the knowhow to build power plants from the ground up. However. the country is taking measures to open up its energy market to multinationals to retool the aging power units with modern equipment and build new power stations with higher efficiency.
Pointing to the projected 8% annual economic growth in the next economic. social and cultural development plan (2016-21). Chitchian underscored the need to expand power production as demand rises and electricity export prospects improve.
Power consumption increased 5% in recent years. the minister said. He added that as the economy develops there will be need for new sources of stable electricity generation.
The minister noted that electricity consumption in the industrial sector has risen by 8.2% compared to last year.
The Energy Ministry is fast-tracking power plant construction projects to create at least 25.000 MW in new production capacity by 2021.
Improving Efficiency
Iran has decided to phase out inefficient power plants. improve the aging electricity infrastructure and move toward modern power production technology. Mohsen Tarztalab. head of Iran`s Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said.
Under regulations outlined by the Energy Ministry. all new power plant units must have efficiency of 58% and above. Tarztalab noted.
With an installed power production capacity of around 75.000 megawatts. Iran meets almost 80% of its electricity demand from aging thermal plants operating for decades.
It is reported that steps have been taken to gradually convert the conventional plants into efficient combined-cycle units.
Close to 12.000 MW is produced from hydroelectric plants and 1.000 MW from the sole nuclear power plant in Bushehr in the south.
