Minister: Iran can export 2,000 MW of electricity

Iran has the capacity to export 2,000 MW of electricity, said Iran’s energy minister noting that Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are among the customers.

According to Fars News Agency, Reza Ardakanian, who was speaking after a Cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, added that Iran is after developing power swap.

He said that he held good talks with his Russian and Azeri counterparts in Moscow last week to synchronize the three countries’ power grids, noting, “As a first step, we are after increasing the possibilities for the exchange of energy with the Republic of Azerbaijan by up to 600 MW and we hope to provide its technical facilities as soon as possible.”

Ardakanian said that Iran will export electricity to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, adding, “At present, we have the capacity to export 2,000 MW of electricity.”

Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Nakhchivan are the neighboring countries whose electricity networks are linked with that of Iran.

A senior energy official announced in 2017 that Iran exported 10 billion kilowatts of electricity to neighboring states in 2016.

“Iran’s export of electricity has exceeded its imports in recent years with a difference of six billion kilowatts,” Deputy Energy Minister Houshang Falahatian said.

“We exported 10 billion kilowatts of electricity last year while our import of the same commodity was only 4 kilowatts,” he added.

The official reiterated that Iran has the capacity to meet the demands of neighboring countries for electricity.