Neka power plant sets record as 4th gas unit joins grid
Iran has connected the fourth gas unit of its Neka power plant in northern Mazandaran Province, with a capacity of 183 megawatts, to the national electricity grid, completing installation and commissioning in a record 99 days, ISNA reported.
Azim Etemadi, CEO of the Thermal Power Plant Company, said Iranian engineers completed the work despite repeated enemy threats targeting the country's electricity infrastructure, setting a new national record for the fastest installation of a gas-fired power unit.
A US-Israeli coalition launched a 40-day military campaign against Iran in late February, with threats and attacks on infrastructure targets prioritized.
The unit was connected to the grid 33 days ahead of the scheduled timeline, he said. The previous national record for installing and commissioning a gas power unit stood at 130 days, achieved during the first phase of the same project amid a 12-day conflict in June, he added.
According to the official, the Neka power plant expansion project comprises two 183-megawatt gas units and one 180-megawatt steam unit operating in combined cycle mode. With the goal of reducing electricity shortages in Mazandaran, two gas units have now been connected to the national grid.
Upon completion of the new combined-cycle project, the total capacity of the Neka power plant will reach 2,760 megawatts. The efficiency of the new units in combined-cycle operation is estimated at more than 53%, Etemadi said.