Tehran Times reported that Iran will establish 2 new power transmission lines to boost electricity exports to Turkmenistan.

Bushehr Nuclear Plant
In February 15 2012, director Fereydoun Abbasi announced on that the Bushehr nuclear power plant had reached 75% of its power generation capacity. The full projected capacity of the first unit is 1 GW.
As at 2012, Iran had 400 power plant units. Iran had a total installed electricity generation capacity of 61 GW by the end of 2010 and plans to add annually more than 6 GW of generation capacity to the grid, doubling Iran’s total power generation capacity to 122 GW in the next 10 years (by 2021). The government of Iran has plans to privatize 20 power plants by September 2010. Electricity generation in 2008, amounted to 203.8 billion kWh or roughly 1% of world’s total production which was up by 5.9% compared with the previous year. It is estimated that 18.5% of electricity generated in Iran is wasted before it reaches consumers due to technical problems.

A.H. Farzam an official with the Iranian Energy Ministry said that the two 400 KV lines will provide the opportunity to exchange electricity among Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Iran plans to connect its power grid to the six countries of the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region.

M. Namjou energy minister of Iran said in May that the government plans to turn the country into a centre for the transit of electricity in the region. The government is following up many development plans outside the country pertaining to power and energy and seeks to emerge as the regional power transit hub.

He further stated that the country seeks to provide countries including, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan with electricity. The necessity to prepare the infrastructures for the transfer of nuclear electricity from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Russia to other countries in the region.

Mr Namjou said that by the end of the Fifth Five Year Economic Development Plan (2015), Iran will boost its electricity generation capacity by 25 GW to reach 73 GW.

M. Behzad, deputy energy minister of Iran said in April that the energy ministry will roll out power projects that will increase Iran’s electricity generation capacity by 5 GW this calendar year. Over 10 GW should be added to the generation capacity of hydroelectric and thermal power plants by August 2013 the last month of President Ahmadinejad’s administration.