TEHRAN -- Iran on Thursday added more than 1,000 megawatts (MW) in power generation capacity to its electric grid with the launch of several new projects across the country.
President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated five new power plants as part of a campaign by his administration to boost the country’s energy security in the face growing demand.
They included a 366 MW thermal power plant located 82 kilometers to the west of the city of Zanjan. Raisi traveled to the site to inaugurate the power plant which has cost 130 million euros and around eight months to build.
The Aryan power plant will be the largest in northwestern Iran and will create a total of 240 new jobs in the region, news reports said.
President Raisi opened other projects via a video link, including two 180 MW and two 160 MW power plants in northwest, northeast and in southern Iran.
The new power plants will bring Iran’s total electricity generation capacity to 89,365 MW. A breakdown of the figure showed thermal power plants accounted for 72,614 MW of the installed capacity, with another 12,087 MW produced by hydroelectric plants.
Renewables and small generators account for 3,644 MW of Iran’s electricity generation mix. Meanwhile, a single nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr operates with 1,002 MW of capacity.
President Raisi’s website said his administration has inaugurated 3,614 MW of new capacity since coming to office in August last year. Another 1,880 MW of new capacity will come online by March 2023.