Iran aims for expanded power trade with neighbors
Tavanir ready to set up wind farm near Afghan border
Iran’s energy officials have expressed determination to ramp up electricity swaps with neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.
During a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran, Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi pointed to an “electrical connection” between the two countries that was already in place, hoping that cooperation in the power sector would pick up steam by next summer, ILNA reported on Tuesday.
Aliabadi told Mustafayev that there were “many plans on the agenda” to boost power cooperation.
Iran struggled with an electricity shortage of 18,000 megawatts per day during the past scorching summer. The authorities are bracing themselves for a shortfall of up to 26,000 MW next summer.
Iranian energy officials are working to bring new thermal and renewable power plants online as well as to swap electricity with regional countries, including Russia, to narrow the deficit.
Last month, Aliabadi proposed, at a meeting of BRICS energy ministers in Moscow, that Russia’s national grid be connected to those of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates via Iran.
He also expressed Iran’s interest in expanding electricity trade and transit with its neighbors.
The Iranian minister raised the issue again during his meeting with the Azerbaijani official, who, in turn, welcomed the idea of “synchronizing the power grids of Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia.”
According to Mustafayev, an Iranian company has been tasked with conducting a technical and economic feasibility study of the project.
Border wind farm
Meanwhile, the head of Iran’s state-owned power producer and distributor, Tavanir, said Iran was ready to build a wind farm on the border with Afghanistan to promote electricity trade.
Tavanir CEO Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said that the unique wind patterns on the Iran-Afghanistan border had piqued the interest of both sides in building a wind park and developing transmission lines, with investment from Iranian and foreign companies.
Iran has been exporting electricity to Afghanistan since 2002. According to Rajabi Mashhadi, Afghanistan has settled all its debts for electricity purchases and has been paying its bills on time.
Recently, Iranian investors have announced their willingness to carry out Afghan power projects and relevant companies have held talks on bilateral projects.