To ensure maximum electricity supply for various sectors and reduce the imbalance between electricity generation and consumption, the executors of this large-scale project are diligently working to fulfill their assigned responsibilities. Among them, the Iranian Grid Management Company, as one of the key implementers of this national initiative, is utilizing its full capacity and collaborating with domestic stakeholders to effectively execute the 14 Mega projects in the power industry.
In this regard, we conducted an interview with Dr. Behrouz Ahmadi Hadid, Director of Over-the-Counter Transactions to discuss the progress of related activities.
What is the title of your assigned project under the 14 Mega projects?
Mega Project No. 13: Attracting Investment in the Supply and Demand Sides of Electricity, with the following subcategories:
• Expanding electricity transactions in the power exchange and bilateral contracts to more than 30%, with the participation of consumers with a contracted power of over 30 kW.
• Enabling the sale of a portion of electricity generated by small-scale power plants during their guarantee period and beyond, in the Free board of Energy Exchange during peak summer demand.
• Facilitating the trading of electricity from capacity upgrades of existing and newly established power plants without contracts in the Free board of Energy Exchange.
What are the main responsibilities of the project manager?
• Integrating major consumers (above 30 kW demand) into electricity exchange transactions.
• Expanding trading in the Green and Free Boards of the Energy Exchange (small-scale power plants, etc.).
• Launching Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) transactions in the Energy Exchange.
• Establishing energy-saving transactions in the Energy Exchange.
What actions have been taken so far?
• Aggregating data of all consumers above 30 kW into the Out-of-Market Transactions System.
• Coordinating the integration of the smart meter data center of Tavanir Co. with the Out-of-Market Transactions System.
• Developing and implementing a framework for small consumers to participate in electricity trading.
• Starting transactions for consumers below 1 MW from December 2024.
• Amending the small-scale power plant regulations (pending approval).
• Drafting the Free board of Energy Exchange guidelines (pending approval).
• Issuing operational procedures for energy-saving certificate transactions.
• Officially approving Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) trading guidelines by the Minister of Energy.
What is the progress of the projects and the overall plan so far?
• Expanding power exchange and bilateral contracts to meet the Seventh Development Plan target by engaging major consumers above 30 kW demand: Fully implemented
• Developing transactions in the Green and Free Boards of the Energy Exchange (small-scale power plants, etc.): Fully implemented
• Issuing regulations for REC transactions: Fully implemented
• Establishing an online connection between the Energy Exchange, the Monitoring Center, and SATBA for real-time certificate issuance: More than 50% progress
• Designing and implementing services required for data exchange between the Energy Exchange, regional electricity companies, and distribution networks: More than 30% progress
• Launching energy-saving transactions in the Energy Exchange: Fully implemented
What are the key challenges facing the project?
⚠ Delay in issuing essential regulations by the Ministry of Energy.
⚠️ Lack of real-time data sharing between Tavanir Co., the Energy Exchange, and the Securities Depository Company.
⚠️ Insufficient training and awareness among consumers and power plants regarding the new opportunities in the Energy Exchange.
What is your estimate for the project's completion?
All sub-sections of the project are expected to be fully implemented and operational by the end of May 2025.