Iran resumes power exports to Afghanistan, Pakistan as domestic demand eases
The head of Iran's Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Company (Tavanir) announced on Friday that the Islamic Republic had resumed electricity exports to Afghanistan and Pakistan after a drop in domestic demand.
“Electricity exports to Afghanistan and Pakistan have resumed after a reduction in internal needs,” said Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, managing director of Tavanir, according to IRNA.
He said exports to the two neighbors currently stand at 150 megawatts, while imports from Armenia and Turkmenistan amount to about 450 megawatts. “Exports will remain at this level unless there is a special development in immediate relations with neighboring countries,” Rajabi Mashhadi added.
Electricity shortages have emerged over the past decade in the county, with power production and consumption growing at unequal rates. According to Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi, "In the last 10 years, electricity production has increased 13-fold while consumption has risen 23-fold, leading to a grid imbalance."
In late August, the Tavanir chief told IRNA that Iran’s electricity exports had dropped to nearly zero due to domestic imbalances between supply and demand. Exports are allowed only when internal needs are fully met.
In recent months, Iran’s power imports have been more than five times its exports, aimed at maintaining grid stability and covering peak summer consumption. Large-scale electricity exports to Iraq, once a major buyer under international contracts, have been completely halted, while sales to Afghanistan had continued only at minimal levels under contractual obligations.