Iran Proposes Connecting Power Grids With Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia

Iran’s Energy Minister, Abbas Aliabadi, has proposed connecting Russia’s electricity grid to the UAE and Saudi Arabia through Iran.

He made these remarks during an energy ministers’ meeting of BRICS bloc members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — held in Moscow as part of Russia’s Energy Week on September 26. Iran was invited to join the BRICS group of nations in 2023, alongside the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Aliabadi emphasized that linking Russia’s electricity grid with the UAE and Saudi Arabia via Iran would lead to cost savings in electricity production, benefit the environment, and “enhance regional security.” He further explained that Iran aims to facilitate electricity trade and transit by connecting its power grid with all neighboring countries, leveraging “temperature differences and time zones” to optimize energy use.

In addition, Aliabadi called for strengthening cooperation among BRICS member nations, highlighting Iran’s “crucial role” in connecting major international transport corridors, including those leading to the Caspian Sea, the Gulf, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. He noted that this would provide “high security and low economic cost.” He also criticized Western policies, particularly sanctions and restrictions, arguing that BRICS nations and others should be “concerned about and counter” the energy strategies of industrialized countries, especially the US. 

Back in July 2023, Iran’s former Energy Minister, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, revealed plans for Iran and Russia to exchange electricity via two routes: through Azerbaijan, and through Armenia and Georgia. He mentioned that Iran was also pursuing electricity exchanges with some neighboring countries without monetary transactions, and noted that the Azerbaijan route was “considered much easier,” with one stage of the power grid already synchronized. Mehrabian stated that the electricity exchange with Russia via Azerbaijan would begin “soon,” while the Armenia-Georgia route remained “on the agenda.”

Mehrabian also expressed Iran’s goal of connecting its power grid to all regional countries to regulate its power supply, adding that the country was already exchanging electricity with all neighbors sharing land borders with Iran.

Both Russia and Iran possess significant electricity generation capabilities, bolstered by their diverse energy resources. Russia’s hydropower and nuclear sectors are highly developed, while Iran’s vast natural gas reserves and growing investments in renewable energy are key strengths.

This potential electricity grid interconnection could reportedly have positive environmental effects. By promoting the use of renewable energy and enhancing energy efficiency, the countries involved could reduce their carbon footprints and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.