Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the construction work of a 25-megawatt power plant in the African state of Benin on Monday, FNA reported.
Beninese President Thomas Yayi Boni also accompanied President Ahmadinejad in the inaugural ceremony.
Iran's Power Plant Projects Management Company (MAPNA), one of the major general contractors of energy projects in Iran, is slated to complete Benin's power plant project in a period of about one year.
President Ahmadinejad, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Benin Sunday on the first leg of his tri-nation tour of Africa, which will later take him to Niger and Ghana.
Iran, the world's 19th largest producer and 20th largest consumer of electricity, has integrated its electricity network into the power grids of seven neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
Earlier this year, Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou said that Iran stands the 4th among the power-generating countries in the world.
"Iran will stand the 4th among the world power-generating states after the power generating capacity of Hafez Shiraz gas power plant is added to the country's power grid," Namjou said , adding that the country now has the most expanded electricity ties with the regional states and the rate of electricity exchanges between Iran and the countries of the region has reached 10mln kw/h.