Iran to build more combined cycle power plants

Iran's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said more gas-powered power plants are to be converted to combined cycle plants. The minister said this move will raise the efficiency of the power plants from 37.5 percent to 50 percent. Chitchian said currently nearly 60 percent of the fuel for thermal power plants is supplied by natural gas and the rest by gasoil and fuel oil, Shana reported. He added that these power plants never face fuel shortage. The minister said the efficiency of Iranian power plants is near the global average, adding that efforts are under way for boosting the efficiency of the plants. Chitchian said the power plants’ efficiency could be raised under a two-year plan. The budget bill approved for the next calendar year which starts on March 21 envisages 120 trillion rials for power plants.