Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 13
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
Iranian domestic gas consumption has reached 485 million cubic meters per day, TASNIM News Agency reported on January 14.
Currently the household sector's share in Iran's total gas consumption stands at 89 percent.
The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) has cut the gas supply to the Neka combined cycle power plant. This is currently using liquid fuel for generating electricity.
The industry sector currently consumes 60 million cubic meters of gas per day, while the power plants' share is around 15 million cubic meters per day.
It was reported in December that gas supply to industries in Iran has been limited, while domestic gas consumption has reached a critical level due to the severe cold season.
Supplying gas to power plants has been limited, and the country's main industries including steel, cement and petrochemical industries have faced a gas shortage.
The National Iranian Gas Company announced on December 21 that it has limited the gas supply to petrochemicals with the oil ministry's approval.
"Based on the oil ministry's order, the NIGC can cut gas supply to petrochemical complexes for two months and industrial units for four months in the case of a severe shortage," the company announced.
'However, currently some 30 million cubic meters of gas per day is being supplied to industrial units, while petrochemical units receive 20 million cubic meters per day', the company's statement added.
The country's power plants currently use oil products including fuel oil and kerosene instead of gas.
Iran's power plants need 140-150 million cubic meters of gas per day, but with the gas shortage the country is facing, the power plants have turned to consuming fuel oil or kerosene.
Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Company, Hamidrez Araqi, said on January 7 that Iran's gas consumption currently stands at around 576 million cubic meters per day.
"Household gas consumption in Iran is 4.5 times more than Europe, 15 times more than Japan and 1.5 times more than Africa," he explained.
He further urged households to economise the consumption of natural gas.
Araqi, who is also the country's deputy oil minister, went on to note gas consumption by the domestic sector has increased by 50 million cubic meters per day in comparison to the previous year's winter.
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on December 28 that the National Iranian Gas Company currently supplies gas to some 86 per cent of the country's population, the IRNA News Agency reported.
Zanganeh had previously said on November 29 that the coming winter will be the hardest one in the country's history in terms of gas shortage.
However, Zanganeh said that the Iranians will face no difficulty in the season, the IRNA News Agency reported.