Iran is working on a major project to connect its national grid with Russia and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization through a power line in the eastern Caspian Sea, said Mohammad Ali Faranakian, advisor to Iran's Minister of Energy for International Affairs.

In an interview with IRNA, he noted that efforts are being made to connect the country's national energy system to Russia and other SCO member states through a power transmission line running through Turkmenistan. Mohammad Ali Faranakian said the decision to connect the power systems of Iran and the former Soviet republics was made at the recent Caspian Sea summit.

He noted that only a third transmission line between Iran and Turkmenistan needs to be built to implement the plan; the second line has already been put into operation.

According to him, Iran has completed the construction of the power line to the common border, and once Turkmenistan starts implementing the project, the power transmission capacity will increase by 200 percent. He added that given the possibility of connecting national grids in the republic, the increased transmission capacity will allow Iran to export its electricity from the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.

Iran is holding consultations to allow the connection of its national grid to the networks of SCO member countries via Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, Faranakian concluded.