As a result of gas shortages, 15 power plants have been switched to liquid fuels, but now the liquid fuel deliveries are slowing, Namju said. The Energy Ministry has called for President Ahmadi-nejad’s involvement to order the Oil Ministry to deliver liquid fuel before any power plants have to be taken off the power grid.
The shortages stem from “repairs at refineries, gas pipelines, offshore platforms and gas wells,” says the head of the National Natural Gas Company. The Ministry of Oil typically provides liquid fuels to support the power plants in situations of limited gas supplies, but this year it has not been able to meet the demand.
Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad said there was a 25 percent reduction in the gas supply. He also criticized the National Gas Company’s decision to do maintenance in the season of peak consumption, calling it “unprecedented.”
Contrary to government predictions of decreased gas consumption due to the removal of gas subsidies, the National Gas Company says daily consumption has risen.