Davood Manzoor, former head of the Planning and Budget Organization, warned about the challenges of gas supply for power plants and energy imbalance in the country. He noted that energy resource shortages could disrupt the entire economy and cause dissatisfaction in society. Manzoor pointed out the importance of gas supply for power plants and mentioned the damages inflicted on the country's gas production sector during the recent war, stating that there are serious concerns about the gas supply needed for power plants in the second half of the year.
Consequences of Blackouts in Winter
Manzoor emphasized that the Ministry of Energy anticipates that we may face blackouts in winter as well. He noted that there has been no history of electricity blackouts in winter in the past, but we are now heading towards a situation where summer blackouts may extend into winter. This situation could put more pressure on the people and the economy, and there is a possibility of increased blackout hours in the coming years.
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Need to Increase Energy Production Capacity
Manzoor stated that to address energy imbalance, the energy production capacity must be continuously increased, saying: "Our estimate is that about 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts of new power plant capacity should be created annually." He also referred to the financial challenges of these projects and added that if sufficient investment is not made, the energy shortage will worsen in the future.
He pointed out the necessity of converting existing gas power plants to combined cycle plants, stating that this action could increase the efficiency of power plants to about 54 to 55 percent. Manzoor estimated that this conversion could add about 10,000 to 15,000 megawatts to the effective power capacity of the country.
Considering the investment costs of this plan, Manzoor noted that for every 1,000 megawatts of converting gas power plants to combined cycle, about 700 to 800 million dollars of investment is needed. He emphasized that the government must focus on financing and planning for the development of power capacity and the necessary gas supply to prevent further crises.
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