Energy shortages in Iran exacerbated by a cold snap led to the closure of schools and public services in half of the country’s provinces on Sunday, as well as power cuts, state media reported.
Iran is an energy giant, including the second largest natural gas reserves in the world, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
However, the country has been forced in recent weeks to ration electricity due to a shortage of gas and fuel to power its power stations.
The cold spell affecting the west and north of the country, including the capital, Tehran, aggravates the situation, as it generates increased energy needs for heating.
On Sunday, a working day in Iran, schools and public offices were closed in several provinces, including those of Golestan, Guilan and Ardabil, located in the north, reports the official Irna news agency.
“This decision was taken due to climatic conditions and to manage fuel consumption,” the agency said.
Similar measures were taken in other provinces, including Tehran, Hamadan, Kermanshah (west), Mazandaran (north), Ghazvin (center) and South Khorasan (east), according to IRNA.
In total, half of Iran’s 31 provinces are affected by restrictions on energy supplies.
In recent days, unplanned power outages have affected several provinces, including the capital, Tehran.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian called on his fellow citizens on Thursday to reduce the temperature of their homes by “at least two degrees” in order to save energy and cope with shortages.
Iran was the world’s seventh-largest crude oil producer in 2022 and has the third-largest proven oil reserves, behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, according to the EIA.
However, Iran’s power grid suffers from a lack of infrastructure investment, mainly due to Western sanctions.
In July, authorities had already ordered a reduction in working hours by half for several days in government institutions in order to save energy during a heat wave.
Frequent power outages in recent years have caused exasperation among part of the population.
With AFP
