Iran manufacturing 99% of electricity equipment domestically

Managing-Director of Iran's state-run Power Supply and Distribution Company (TAVANIR) Homayoun Ha'eri announced that the country is manufacturing almost all its needs to electricity equipments and facilities. Ha'eri made the remarks addressing the 21st Conference on Iran Electricity and Computer Engineering in the Northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Tuesday. "Nearly 99 percent of electricity equipment is produced by the Iranian experts and engineers," the Iranian official said. He noted that all Iranian cities and more than 99 percent of the country's rural areas are connected to the national electricity grid. In mid-October, Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad said that Iran will attain self-sufficiency in manufacturing the needed tools, equipment and parts of its power industry in the next few months. Iran will enjoy self-sufficiency in electricity industry by the end of the Iranian calendar year, March 20, 2013, said the official. Mohammad Behzad said Iran is also capable of exporting electricity and engineering services to American, African and Asian states. He also noted that Iran is a major regional exporter of electricity. In August, the Iranian Energy Ministry announced that the country has exported 3,949gw/h of electricity in the last 4 months, which shows a 46% growth compared with the same period last year. With the implementation of subsidy reforms law, not only domestic electricity consumption has reduced but also annual growth in electricity demand has been checked, thus paving the way for further export of electricity to the neighboring countries. Iran has power swap deals with Armenia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the autonomous region of Nakhichevan. The ministry announced that Iran's export of electricity to the neighboring countries has witnessed over 46 percent increase since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started March 20, 2012) compared to the corresponding period last year.