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Surge in Iran electricity demand amid record high temperature: Minister
Mehrabian said that in the upcoming two weeks, the country will experience unprecedented temperature increases, which will lead to a significant rise in electricity demand due to the simultaneous temperature changes across various regions.
Mehrabian warned that in order to prevent the infringement of other consumers’ rights, electricity supply will necessarily be restricted for a number of high-consumption residential users as a first step and will be cut off if necessary, ILNA reported.
The minister also said that electricity will be cut off for those offices that do not take action to reduce their consumption.
He added that all sectors of the country’s electricity industry, including power plants, transmission, and distribution, are on full alert and are making every effort to maximize electricity production and distribution across various consumption sectors.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Iran’s electricity sector said that due to the increasing heat intensity, electricity consumption demand is expected to rise by 7.5%.
Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said that a “very hot” two weeks lie ahead for Iranian citizens, stating to ILNA, “We predict that electricity consumption demand will change the records that have been set this year starting on March 20.”
Rajabi stated that this level of consumption has increased by “five thousand and 500 megawatts” compared to last year, adding that this amount is “equivalent to the electricity consumption of the provinces of Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchestan.”
Tehran Electric Distribution Company announced on Friday that it is requesting residents of the Iranian capital to reduce their electricity consumption by at least 10%, especially between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., in order to prevent disruptions in the electricity network.
The company also warned that it would take action against “subscribers” and “offices” that do not adhere to the need for reduced electricity consumption. At the same time, an official from the Ministry of Energy remarked that “electricity consumption in Iran alone exceeds the total consumption of 27 countries in the European Union.”
Mojtaba Gilvanejad, highlighting the expected rise in temperature over the coming days, explained, “Since most of our country’s electricity is generated from natural gas, the increase in temperature not only leads to decreased production efficiency but also results in higher energy consumption.” He also said, “For each degree temperature increase, the electricity load on the network rises by approximately 1,800 megawatts while the electricity production capacity and network facilities decrease by more than 400 megawatts.”