Owji who was visiting the Tehran refinery said:
- A daily shortfall of 200 million m3 of natural gas could lead to problems in the cold winter months
- He also added that Iran has 30% less fuel stored for power plants
Last winter shortages of natural gas supplies led to power cuts during winter and also the use of dirty fuels such as mazut.
Major cities suffered from heavy smog and pollution, which continued until spring.
With hot summer weather arriving in June, fuel shortages again surfaced, forcing major power cuts that led to protests in some major cities.Iran’s natural gas production has not kept pace with increasing domestic demand and Tehran’s commitments to export the fuel to Iraq and Turkey.
Lack of foreign investments and technology partnerships amid US sanctions are the main reasons why natural gas production growth is stalled.
IRNA reported that even if Iran manages to deliver 100 million m3 of natural gas daily to its power stations, it will need an additional 50 million liters of liquid fuel to provide electricity.
Iranians also use natural gas directly to heat buildings.
