Saeed Tavakoli, CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, during a meeting with the President and members of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, announced the company's support for the private sector's entry into gas trade and optimization of gas consumption. Tavakoli emphasized that there are suitable legal and economic capacities for the operation of gas import development companies, and these opportunities should be utilized to strengthen energy security and sustainability of the country's gas supply.
Status of Gas Production and Supply in the Country
Tavakoli further referred to the latest status of gas production and supply in the country, stating: "Before these incidents, the country faced a daily imbalance of 250 to 300 million cubic meters of gas during the cold days of the year, but during the enemy attacks, 230 million cubic meters of the country's gas production capacity was lost." He also mentioned that after this incident, integrated management meetings were held at the Ministry of Oil to restore the damaged capacities, and the round-the-clock efforts of colleagues have led to the return of about 40 percent of the lost capacity to the production cycle.
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Challenges and Future Plans
Tavakoli, pointing to the complexity of restoring the remaining damaged capacity, stated: "About 130 million cubic meters of the lost capacity due to damage to equipment and initial points of the refining process are still out of the cycle and restoring it requires time and specialized equipment." He also emphasized the necessity of managing consumption and prioritizing gas uses in the upcoming winter, saying: "We have exceptional conditions in the energy supply sector, and it is essential that all agencies and stakeholders in the energy sector plan realistically based on numbers to get through the winter."
The CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company pointed out that gas accounts for about 73 percent of the country's energy basket, stating: "The extensive dependence of various sectors of the country on gas, from industries and power plants to the residential sector and remote areas, has made attention to the sustainability of the network even more critical." He also mentioned that if the cold conditions of 1403 are repeated and prolonged cold periods continue, gas consumption in the residential and commercial sectors could exceed 600 million cubic meters per day.
Tavakoli concluded by referring to the actions taken to develop energy service companies, stating: "Implementing the legal capacities of Article 46 of the Seventh Development Plan and the Cabinet's resolution in 1404 provides a suitable opportunity for the private sector to enter the field of consumption optimization and help ensure the sustainability of gas supply for industries."
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