Tehran media carried headlines on Saturday saying Iran was to announce a nationwide blackout plan on account of gas shortages, with energy outages scheduled to begin from Sunday from 9 a.m. to five p.m.
As winter approaches, Iran faces a deepening vitality disaster, forcing the federal government to make robust selections. After enduring summer time blackouts on account of a surge in energy demand, Iran is now going through a pure gasoline scarcity, which might disrupt energy provides within the winter. With choices narrowing, the administration has outlined a controversial plan to impose blackouts or depend on mazut, a extremely polluting gas supply that dangers additional air air pollution.
On November 3, the federal government issued a directive to halt mazut burning at main factories in Arak, Karaj and Isfahan, in hopes of decreasing well being hazards in densely populated areas. However, mazut remains to be being utilized in different elements of the nation, and issues persist about its impression on air high quality and public well being.
Economic strain on Iranian business
Energy shortages are straining Iran’s industrial sector as frequent energy outages disrupt manufacturing and enhance prices. In August, the federal government diverted electrical energy from industrial clients to satisfy family wants, inflicting heavy losses to sectors reminiscent of vehicles and cement manufacturing. According to Saber Parnian, head of the West Azarbaijan Industry, Mines and Trade Organization, frequent energy outages are doubling the price of cement manufacturing, whereas lawmaker Mansour Alimardani stated energy outages have a devastating impression on job safety and enterprise operations. stated.
Iran’s business is feeling the pinch once more because the chilly climate will increase family vitality calls for. This 12 months’s gasoline restrictions began sooner than regular, and the cement sector, together with cement manufacturing, is struggling to take care of manufacturing volumes on account of rising prices.
Environmental and well being prices of utilizing Mazut
Reliance on Mazut has raised alarm amongst environmental and well being specialists as a result of it accommodates excessive ranges of sulfur, far exceeding world requirements for gas oil. Environmental skilled Masoud Tajrishi highlighted the dangers in an interview with the Rouydad24 web site, saying: “Mazut has residual dangerous components from crude oil. Burning will increase particulate matter, which might result in respiratory sicknesses and critical resulting in critical well being dangers.”
Iran’s Energy Ministry has expressed concern about Mazut’s environmental impression, however faces restricted choices as gasoline provides proceed to fall beneath demand.
Air air pollution in Iran’s capital Tehran has reached excessive ranges and is taken into account unhealthy for everybody. (December 2023)
Dependence on Turkmenistan’s gasoline imports
The disaster is additional exacerbated by Iran’s dependence on pure gasoline imports from Turkmenistan to assist its northern area. An unresolved debt dispute has prevented Turkmenistan from restarting gasoline exports, elevating issues that residents of northern areas could also be left with out sufficient warmth this winter.
At a current Cabinet assembly, President Pezeshkian acknowledged monetary hurdles in negotiations with Turkmenistan, noting that gasoline imports had been hampered in earlier winters on account of fee points.
System failures and calls for for reform
Energy analysts say the Iranian disaster stems from years of underinvestment and useful resource mismanagement. Energy skilled Narsi Ghorban estimates that Iran will want $250 billion in infrastructure to satisfy its vitality wants.
“But we have not seen any progress on this entrance,” Govan added, suggesting he had little confidence in swift reforms.
In an interview with Aftab News, college professor Hashem Orai warned that until an answer is discovered, Iran might face energy outages harking back to Cuba on account of vitality sector challenges.
“A return to the times of Cuba-style energy outages and queuing for oil and burning wooden is not only a prediction, it is inevitable,” he stated.
air air pollution in tehran
Tajirisi additionally emphasised the necessity for institutional reform, citing the Clean Air Act for example that mandates vitality system upgrades to scale back consumption, particularly on the finish of the gasoline grid. “Reducing family vitality use by even 15% might stabilize provide and cut back the necessity for mazut,” he stated.
Iran’s vitality disaster highlights the necessity for reform as rolling blackouts are set to start. Pezeshkian’s authorities now faces growing strain to steadiness vitality use with well being and environmental issues as winter approaches.