The harsh start of winter is causing Iranians' energy consumption to soar. Infrastructure, undermined by Western sanctions and a lack of investment, is struggling to keep up.
(illustration) ( AFP / ATTA KENARE )
Several power plants in Iran have been taken offline due to a fuel shortage worsened by a cold snap that is weighing on energy supplies, local media reported Monday (December 16).
Paradox
Iran is an energy giant, which has the
second largest natural gas reserves in the world,
according to the US Energy Information Agency (EIA), and was the world's seventh largest producer of crude oil in 2022. But Iran's power grid suffers from a lack of investment in its infrastructure, notably due to sanctions Western.
The country has been forced in recent weeks to ration electricity, due to a lack of sufficient gas and fuel to power its power stations.
In northern Iran, several power plants in the Golestan province were shut down due to lack of gas, the Fars news agency reported. In this part of the country, temperatures fell to -5°C, leading to an increase in gas consumption for heating by individuals.
In the province of Lorestan (center), located about 200 kilometers from the capital Tehran,
“part of the gas-fired power plants have (also) been taken out of service”
for this reason, according to state television.
Half of Iran's 31 provinces are affected to varying degrees by measures linked to energy supply. In Tehran, where power cuts have multiplied, schools and administrations are closed this Monday for the second consecutive day.
Already on Sunday, schools and public services remained closed in half of the Iranian provinces, in order to save energy in the face of shortages. The authorities extended these closures for Tuesday in several regions including Kermanshah (west), Ardabil and Mazandaran (north) and Isfahan (center).
According to state television,
28 provincial capitals recorded temperatures below 0°C overnight from Sunday to Monday. At the same time, gas consumption is up 18% compared to the same period last year,
according to the Iranian gas company. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian apologized on Monday for these repeated shortages and power cuts, which exasperate the population.
