Oil minister: Energy shortages linked to 8% rise in household consumption
Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad attributed the current energy sector shortages to an 8% increase in household consumption and past imbalances. He emphasized the need for proper management of power plants’ fuel mix to compensate for reduced gas supply.
Speaking at Tuesday’s public session of Parliament, Paknejad responded to questions from Qom representative Mohammad-Manan Raeisi and 59 other lawmakers regarding fuel deficits and negligence in power plants, IRNA reported.
He stated that the energy imbalance is not the result of decisions made in the past three months, three years, or even six years, but rather the outcome of policies and actions taken by relevant energy institutions over the past three decades.
Paknejad cited limitations and structural issues in the oil sector as contributing factors. He referenced a letter from former oil minister Javad Owji to the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) on May 1, 2024, which highlighted fuel supply challenges. While the letter’s contents are classified, Paknejad revealed that it emphasized the need to compensate for gas shortages by increasing mazut consumption in power plants.
The minister noted that the letter outlined a plan and requested the SNSC’s approval for mazut usage in power plants. He stressed that the gas shortage was evident early in the year, and the previous administration’s oil sector had proposed solutions, including mazut consumption.
Paknejad explained that in 1402, gas exports to Turkey were halted for four months, freeing up 3.6 billion cubic meters of gas for domestic use, including power plants. However, in the current Iranian year, household, commercial, and industrial gas consumption increased by 8% compared to the previous year.
To address the gas supply shortfall, Paknejad called for better management of power plants’ fuel mix, which includes gas, diesel, and mazut. He noted that mazut usage should be increased up to a specified limit, as outlined by the Supreme National Security Council.