An official representative in Iran reported a significant increase in production capacities in the renewable energy sector, which has grown from 1250 megawatts to approximately 7000 megawatts. Additionally, about 3000 megawatts were added to the country's total generation capacity through thermal power plants.
Abolfazl Asadi, Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs at Tavanir, noted in a radio interview on the annual work of the energy industry that the main task for ensuring stable energy supply to the population is eliminating the imbalance between consumption and production. He pointed to two main solutions: increasing production capacity and optimizing consumption.
A Green Board was established to stimulate private investors to build renewable power plants, and a Free Board was created on the Energy Exchange for thermal power plants. This new model allows private investors to offer their generated electricity on the exchange, where private companies also act as buyers. This system complies with the commitments of the Ministry of Energy's Seventh Development Plan, which provides for expanding operations on the Energy Exchange.
Emphasizing that significant investments were made in the power generation sector under the 14th government, Asadi specified that the capacity in the renewable energy sector increased from 1250 MW to 5600–7000 MW, and about 3000 MW was added in the thermal sector. Furthermore, the Energy Exchange introduced the Energy Saving Board for the first time, offering investors a suitable financial model. According to this model, any industry investing in energy saving can sell the saved energy on the market.
This initiative led to an increase in energy saving contracts from two per year to 59 contracts in the lighting sector, especially in cooling, including replacing water cooler motors with low-consumption (BLDC) ones and replacing inefficient coolers with high-efficiency ones.
The Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs at Tavanir stressed that the Seventh Development Plan also focuses on expanding transactions on the Energy Exchange. He added that large enterprises are obliged to cover part of their energy needs by building their own power plants by the end of the plan. Fortunately, enterprises have started moving in this direction, and currently, about 100–200 megawatts of such capacity have been implemented. This approach contributes both to increasing supply and production and to gradually reducing the imbalance through consumption optimization.
Strengthening these boards, he said, changes previous practices and will accelerate the pace of progress.
Speaking about investments in the power transmission and distribution network, Asadi reported that the goals set as 140 mega-projects last September were achieved in the transmission and distribution sectors, and there are currently no limitations on transmission capacity. In addition, the private sector is building small power plants (from 2 to 5 megawatts) directly at consumption sites, which, in addition to supporting the grid, can sell their electricity through the Free Board.
In conclusion, the Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs at Tavanir expressed gratitude to the public for their cooperation. He noted that all these achievements were made amid war and unprecedented heat. The public played an effective role in overcoming the peak consumption period through their savings and cooperation, which deserves appreciation. There is hope that with the continuation of such interaction and the development of the Energy Exchange boards, more reliable electricity supply for people will be ensured.