Mahdi Masali, Secretary of the Iranian Electricity Industry Syndicate, issued a statement warning about the critical state of the electricity industry and emphasized the importance of this industry in ensuring national security. The current crisis is not only a technical challenge but a systemic crisis rooted in financial and human issues.
Financial Challenges and Imbalance in the Electricity Industry
Masali pointed out the financial situation of the electricity industry, reporting on the vast assets and simultaneously accumulated debts. The assets of the Iranian electricity industry amount to over $200 billion, of which about $150 billion pertains to power plants and the electricity network. To maintain the current status of this network, an annual investment of $5 billion is required, while another $5 billion is needed for development and to meet the growing consumption.
He also referred to the financial imbalance of the Ministry of Energy, stating: "According to published reports, the financial imbalance of the Ministry of Energy in 1405 is very significant." The government’s debt to the private sector is estimated to be around 240 trillion tomans, and it is expected that this figure will increase with future audits.
Fuel Shortage and Consumption Management
Masali warned about the anticipated challenges in the upcoming seasons, saying: "Given that over 90% of the country's electricity production depends on thermal power plants, it is predicted that during specific time periods, due to fuel shortages and supply management, we will face serious challenges in the stability of the network." These challenges could lead to power outages and capacity shortages.
In addition, the human resource crisis and brain drain are also among the other challenges facing the electricity industry. Masali emphasized that due to the lack of attention to fair wages and rewards, many elites and specialists have migrated from this industry. The problems of securing foreign currency for currency-intensive industries and the urgent need of the electricity industry for foreign currency for equipment and renewable energy development are other major obstacles that are not being adequately addressed.
He concluded by saying: "Although the private sector has been able to create resilience in recent years despite the limitations, this capability is limited, and without operational support from the government and resolving financial challenges and securing foreign currency, the entire ecosystem of the electricity industry will face serious threats."
