As Iran experiences a severe cold wave and an unprecedented increase in gas consumption, Saeed Tavakoli, Deputy Minister of Oil and CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, announced on Monday, February 10, that “the volume of gas consumption in the past 24 hours accounted for nearly 75% of the country’s total production.”
According to the state-run Mizan news agency, Tavakoli stated that “on Saturday, February 8, 870 million cubic meters of natural gas were supplied to the national grid, with more than 75% of it consumed in residential, commercial, and small industrial sectors.”
The Iranian Deputy Oil Minister, referring to the intense cold in the northern and northwestern regions of the country, predicted that gas consumption could rise to 700 million cubic meters in the coming days.
This government official warned that in order to maintain the stability of the national gas network, “cooperation and consumption management” by the public are essential. He also emphasized that if the excessive gas consumption continues, “fuel supply for power plants and productive industries will face challenges.”
He described this level of consumption as highly concerning and urged citizens to participate in the “Two Degrees Lower” campaign by maintaining indoor temperatures between 18 to 21 degrees Celsius, wearing warm clothing, and closing air vents to help the country get through this period of cold weather.
Government officials, by launching campaigns such as “Two Degrees Lower” and asking people to lower the temperature in their homes and workplaces, are trying to encourage society to conserve energy.
Previously, the governor of Tehran province also referred to the drop in temperature and the increase in energy consumption, urging people to manage their usage and save energy to help maintain the stability of the energy network.
Reports indicate that despite repeated calls from government officials for public participation in the “Two Degrees Lower” campaign, cooperation from the people in reducing energy consumption in Iran faces challenges.
Previously, Hashem Ourai, an energy expert, told the state-run Khabar Online website that due to a decline in social capital and a lack of public trust, people’s cooperation with the government in this area has been limited.
The Eghtesad Online website emphasized that on one hand, the high energy consumption in the country, and on the other hand, the imbalance in gas supply and distribution, have sounded the “alarm bell” for the country’s energy infrastructure.
The scale of energy shortages and crises in Iran is expanding daily, to the point that experts refer to it as a warning sign of “economic collapse.”
It is worth mentioning that Iran holds the second-largest natural gas reserves in the world but is unable to meet its domestic energy needs.
