Irans power plant efficiency surpasses 396 amid fuel challenges
Iran’s power plant efficiency surpasses 39.6% amid fuel challenges
TEHRAN – The average efficiency of Iran’s power plants has exceeded 39.6 percent, with efforts underway to sustain the upward trend, a senior official at the country’s Thermal Power Plants Holding Company (TPPH) said.
According to the Energy Ministry, Nasser Eskandari, deputy head of power generation operations at TPPH, stated that optimized power plant utilization, the integration of steam units in combined-cycle plants, and the use of more efficient generation units have helped the electricity sector curb fuel consumption. Despite a 1.8 percent increase in electricity production, equivalent fuel consumption rose by only 0.7 percent.
"This indicates a steady improvement in the efficiency of Iran’s thermal power plants, allowing us to generate more electricity with less fuel," Eskandari noted.
Improved efficiency and better consumption management resulted in lower fuel usage at thermal power plants in January and February compared to the same period last year. Daily fuel consumption in January fell to 214 million cubic meters from 218 million cubic meters a year earlier, while in February, it decreased from 209 million to 208 million cubic meters.
Eskandari emphasized that reduced gas supply this winter limited the ability of power plants to stockpile liquid fuel. “Thermal power plants were supposed to receive more gas to store liquid fuel for winter, but due to lower gas deliveries, most of the available fuel was consumed immediately, leaving little room for storage,” he said.
Designed to operate primarily on natural gas, Iran’s thermal power plants can use liquid fuel only as a temporary measure, with dedicated storage tanks at plant sites. Eskandari noted that in previous years, over three billion liters of liquid fuel were stored annually for winter use, but this year, the reduced gas supply has forced power plants to rely more on liquid fuel.
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source: tehrantimes.com