Jahangiri: We have an 11,000 megawatt electricity deficit
Government officials in the Islamic Republic have said that Iran is facing an 11,000 megawatt electricity deficit. This deficit is to be met by closing large industries and reducing the hours of operation of government offices in order to reduce the duration of household power outages.
According to First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, Iran is currently facing an 11,000 megawatt electricity deficit. In recent days, power outages in Iran have led to many protests.
Jahangiri said on Wednesday, July 7, that Iran needs 64,000 megawatts of electricity for its own consumption, while the country's current production is about 53,000 megawatts.
According to the First Deputy Prime Minister, electricity consumption in industrial centers and offices is set to decrease in order to reduce the hours of household power outages.
Jahangiri also referred to the decrease in rainfall and drought and said, "Out of 12,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power generation, only two to three thousand megawatts are being used so that we do not face a shortage of drinking water."
Rouhani: It cannot be done without capital
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attributed the shortage of electricity production to the inability to invest. He told a cabinet meeting: “Nothing can be done without capital and empty-handed. Why can’t the needed capital be brought to the country? This must be explained to the people.”
O, who is in the final weeks of his government's activity, added: "Some of the problems are related to the interior; for example, the government submitted bills to the parliament regarding the FATF and they were approved, and the Guardian Council also cooperated, and then we got stuck in another place that we didn't think about."
Hassan Rouhani, noting that 38 percent of the oil sales revenue should go to the National Development Fund, said: "That money is given to investors to be invested in various fields; when the fund does not have money, it is not possible to invest and various projects are not implemented."
According to government officials, the majority of the electricity deficit is expected to be met by the closure of large industries, which could have a negative impact on manufacturing industries.
Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Energy of the Islamic Republic say that Iran's electricity exports have now reached almost zero and that Iran is importing electricity from some neighboring countries.
Mustafa Rajabi, a spokesman for Iran's electricity industry, told ISNA news agency that electricity imports from Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan have increased to 650 megawatts, while only about 50 megawatts are exported to Afghanistan.
Calls to citizens to reduce electricity consumption have also not been effective so far. Power outages in Iran's hot summer have sparked a backlash from citizens. According to reports on social media, protest rallies have been held in various cities.
Also, according to images posted on social media, protesters chanted slogans against Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, during the nightly power outages.
Source: DW
