(MENAFN) Iranian Acting President Mohammad Mokhber recently oversaw the inauguration of 42 significant water and electricity projects across four provinces through a virtual conference session, as reported by an Iranian news agency. These projects, totaling an investment of 380 trillion rials (approximately USD750 million), were inaugurated with the presence of Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister Mehrabian highlighted Iran's standing globally in electricity generation capacity, noting that Iran ranks seventh worldwide and third in Asia. He emphasized ongoing efforts, revealing that multiple power plant units with a collective capacity of 22,000 megawatts are currently under construction throughout the country. To meet the targets set by Iran's seventh development plan in electricity production, only an additional 8,000 megawatts of capacity are required.

Under the late President Ebrahim Raisi's administration, Iran experienced a notable 13.5 percent growth in electricity generation, surpassing outputs of industrialized nations such as the UK and Italy. According to recent data from the "Statistical Review of Global Energy," Iran generated 382.9 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2023, marking a 4.3 percent increase from the previous year's 367.1 terawatt-hours. This growth rate in 2023 was nearly double the global average.

The report further underscores that Iran's electricity generation in 2023 exceeded that of several industrialized countries and major economies including the UK, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand. These developments highlight Iran's significant strides in enhancing its electricity infrastructure and expanding capacity to meet domestic demands and regional energy dynamics.

MENAFN30062024000045015839ID1108389835