Gas Cut Off to “80 Percent” of Iran’s Cement Factories

The secretary of Iran’s cement industry employers’ union says that among 76 cement factories, gas to 60 factories has been cut off.

Abdolreza Sheikhan said on Thursday, December 4, to ILNA news agency that the third phase of gas cuts begins today, during which gas supply will continue to only 16 cement companies while gas to the remaining companies will be cut off.

He said some factories in Tehran, Alborz, and some factories in the south of the country will still have gas.

According to the secretary of Iran’s cement industry employers’ union, the first phase of gas cuts to cement factories began on November 6, when among 76 cement companies, gas to 15 factories in the north and east of the country as well as Azerbaijan was cut off.

“In the second phase, which started on November 25, gas to 24 other factories was cut off. The third phase of gas cuts begins today, during which gas supply will continue to only 16 companies while gas to the remaining companies will be cut off.”

Iran is facing a severe gas shortage due to the lack of development of gas projects this year, as well as the continued significant loss of gas in the network.

Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji recently announced that during winter, a daily gas shortage of 200 million cubic meters is expected. Iran’s gas production, including gas extraction from underground gas storage in Shourijeh and Saraj, is slightly over 800 million cubic meters per day this winter.

According to Iran’s Oil Minister, gas production in the country is not expected to increase this year and the gas shortage will be much greater than last year.

During the cold seasons of the year, Iran always faces a gas shortage due to increased domestic, commercial, and small industries consumption, and gas delivery to industries and power plants is limited; however, this year the gas shortage is extremely severe.

This is while according to World Bank statistics, approximately 50 million cubic meters of Iran’s daily gas production from oil fields (associated gas) is burned and wasted due to the lack of gas collection equipment at the production stage.

Also, gas losses in the transmission and distribution network are approximately 11 million cubic meters per day.

Statistics from the National Gas Company show that domestic gas consumption in recent days has been approximately 748 million cubic meters, of which 521 million cubic meters is the share of the household, commercial, and small industries sector; major industries consume 129 million cubic meters and power plants also consume 98 million cubic meters of gas per day.

The delivery of only 98 million cubic meters of gas to power plants is while the natural gas needs of this sector are approximately 280 million cubic meters per day. As a result, two-thirds of Iran’s power plants are currently operating with diesel and mazut fuel, especially mazut fuel, which is highly polluting.

Mr. Sheikhan said some cement factories have managed to receive mazut reserves from the government to compensate for the gas cuts, but some others have not been able to.

He said in the last one or two months, measures were taken to receive mazut from the government, but since power plants, petrochemicals, and steel factories also have gas problems, priority was given to supplying mazut to power plants and some industrial factories.

The secretary of Iran’s cement industry employers’ union stated: “Since the gas cuts, each phase whose gas was cut off has started using mazut.”

Source: Radio Farda