Iran’s electricity exports up 12.4% in 3 months

TEHRAN,July 6(MNA) - Iran exported 3,214 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity to its neighboring countries in spring 2014, a 12.43 percent rise compared to spring 2013. Iran also imported 2,859 GWh of electricity in spring 2014, which corresponds to the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), the report added. In April 2013, Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad said that the country has constructed power plants twice as many as the average number of power plants which have been constructed in the world during the past decade. The power generation capacity in Iran has grown by 7 percent annually during the past 10 years, he said, adding that the figure has averaged 3.5 percent in the world. The country’s power generation capacity is currently at 68.38 gigawatts, he added. Iran currently trades power with Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan (including Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic), Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq. Iran seeks to become a major regional exporter of electricity and has attracted more than $1.1 billion in investments for the construction of three new power plants.