The exhibition comes as Iran's installed electricity generation capacity has exceeded 102,000 megawatts, representing approximately a fourteenfold increase since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Before the revolution, the country's installed generating capacity stood at around 7,000 megawatts, while the electricity industry relied heavily on foreign suppliers for equipment and specialized technical requirements.
Over the following decades, Iran expanded its electricity generation and transmission infrastructure, extended electricity access to underserved rural communities and strengthened domestic capabilities in power plant construction, operation and maintenance.
One of the most significant aspects of this transformation has been rural electrification. The expansion accelerated during the 1980s, despite the economic disruption and infrastructure damage caused by the eight-year war imposed on Iran by Iraq.
Research published in the Journal of Demographic Economics indicates that the share of electrified villages increased from 5.9 percent in 1976 to 44.3 percent in 1988, reflecting the geographical expansion of infrastructure investment. By 2006, approximately 92.3 percent of Iranian villages had access to electricity. The World Bank's latest available indicator shows that electricity access reached 100 percent of Iran's population in 2024.
The expansion of electricity infrastructure also created a substantial domestic market for electrical equipment, construction, maintenance and specialized engineering services, providing a foundation for further industrial development and technological localization.
A major step in this process took place during the 1990s, when Iran began establishing specialized industrial enterprises capable of undertaking increasingly complex power plant construction projects and manufacturing electricity-generation equipment.
The establishment of MAPNA Group in 1994 marked an important milestone, bringing power plant project management, engineering, procurement and construction activities together within a more integrated industrial structure.
The development of domestic turbine manufacturing illustrates how Iran gradually strengthened its technological capabilities through industrial investment, international cooperation and successive stages of technical learning.
Initially, Iranian companies assembled equipment under foreign licenses. They subsequently established manufacturing partnerships and gradually expanded their capacity to produce components and develop turbine technologies adapted to domestic requirements.
A 2024 study by the Valdai Discussion Club traces this development through the establishment of Turbine Engineering and Manufacturing Company (TUGA) by MAPNA in 1999, alongside other complementary industrial initiatives.
By approximately 2010, Iranian manufacturers had advanced towards independently producing heavy-duty gas turbines following years of technological development and cooperation with international suppliers.
MAPNA's subsequent turbine portfolio incorporated several platforms, including the MGT70, developed from the Siemens V94.2 design, as well as industrial turbines derived from other internationally established technologies.
Turbine manufacturing requires expertise extending well beyond conventional metalworking. It involves precision machining, advanced materials, thermal engineering, combustion systems and sophisticated testing capabilities.
According to figures reported by officials in 2024, domestic manufacturers supplied more than 91 percent of the components and equipment required for power plant construction.
Iran's thermal electricity sector has also expanded considerably, with official figures indicating that installed thermal generation capacity has exceeded 74,000 megawatts across hundreds of generating units and power stations.
Alongside gas turbines, domestic industrial capabilities have expanded into generator manufacturing, steam turbines, auxiliary systems, industrial compressors and specialized power plant components.
Maintenance engineering is another important area of technological development. Iranian specialists increasingly undertake turbine overhauls, component reconstruction and the production of equipment that previously required substantial dependence on international suppliers.
The Iran Power Plant Repairs Company has reported manufacturing approximately 37,000 components and pieces of equipment. Iranian engineers have also carried out maintenance operations at power stations in neighboring countries.
Advances in transmission infrastructure and transformer manufacturing
Iran's progress has extended beyond electricity generation to transmission infrastructure, which requires sophisticated capabilities in electrical engineering, equipment manufacturing and power system management.
The country's transmission network has developed from a relatively limited infrastructure into an interconnected national system supported by high-voltage substations, transmission corridors and increasingly advanced protection and control equipment.
Iranian specialists have more recently reported progress in manufacturing high-capacity transmission conductors, developing advanced transformers and expanding the communications infrastructure required for national electricity network operations.
One notable achievement came in 2024, when Iran Transfo completed the development of a domestically designed three-phase transformer rated at 500 megavolt-amperes (MVA), among the largest units manufactured in the country.
Weighing approximately 335 tonnes and measuring 14 meters in length, the transformer was designed to combine three single-phase units into one installation, reducing installation requirements and improving the use of available space in substations.
Its development reflects accumulated expertise in electromagnetic design, insulation systems, thermal management, digital monitoring and precision manufacturing, all of which are essential for operating high-capacity electricity transmission networks.
Other developments include domestically manufactured low-loss transformers, high-capacity transmission conductors and advanced network monitoring systems.
Iran's electricity sector has also developed approximately 38,000 kilometers of fiber-optic infrastructure to support communications and operational management across the national grid.
Smart metering represents another important extension of these capabilities. Tavanir, Iran's electricity generation, transmission and distribution management company, has reported the installation of more than two million smart meters. A national electricity monitoring center also supports more detailed analysis of consumption patterns.
Together, these developments demonstrate a broader transition from simply expanding electricity infrastructure towards integrating digital communications, automated monitoring and more advanced operational management throughout the national electricity system.
Iranian engineering capabilities extend beyond national borders
The industrial expertise developed through domestic infrastructure projects has also enabled Iranian engineering companies to participate in international electricity and infrastructure markets.
A prominent example is Sri Lanka's Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project, implemented by Iranian contractor FARAB under an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement awarded in 2010.
Valued at approximately $514 million, the project was completed and officially commissioned in April 2024. It includes a 120-megawatt hydropower plant designed to generate approximately 290 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, alongside extensive water-transfer and irrigation infrastructure serving southeastern Sri Lanka.
The project demonstrates Iranian contractors' capacity to deliver complex international infrastructure developments combining hydraulic engineering, underground construction, irrigation systems and electricity generation.
Iranian specialists have also undertaken repair and maintenance assignments at power stations in Iraq and Syria, alongside technical cooperation and energy-sector projects in Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and other neighboring countries.
Renewable energy and combined-cycle technology expand the industry
Iran's industrial capabilities are also supporting the diversification of its electricity generation portfolio, particularly through the expansion of renewable energy.
Non-hydroelectric renewable generation capacity increased from 1,130 megawatts in August 2024 to 5,836 megawatts by September 2026, representing substantial growth in the country's renewable electricity sector.
This expansion has created new opportunities for domestic manufacturers, construction companies, electrical equipment suppliers and engineering contractors to participate in renewable energy projects.
Meanwhile, combined-cycle technology has become increasingly important in improving the efficiency of electricity generation. These systems recover heat from gas turbines and use it to operate steam turbines, enabling power plants to generate additional electricity from the same fuel input.
Nuclear energy also remains an established component of Iran's electricity generation infrastructure. The Bushehr nuclear power station is the country's first operational commercial nuclear electricity generating facility.
According to the figures presented in the report, Iran ranks sixteenth globally in installed electricity generation capacity, placing it among the world's major national electricity systems.
However, the significance of the country's electricity industry extends beyond its generation capacity. The development of domestic expertise in turbine manufacturing, transformer production, engineering services, equipment rehabilitation and complex power plant construction represents an important part of Iran's industrial transformation.
The 26th International Electricity Industry Exhibition brings these capabilities together, providing a platform for Iranian manufacturers to present their products and technical achievements alongside foreign companies and potential commercial and technological partners.
With 420 participating companies, including 350 Iranian enterprises, the exhibition offers a contemporary picture of the breadth of Iran's electricity manufacturing sector, its specialized engineering capabilities and its continuing engagement with international electricity markets.
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