Taher Rahimi, an energy expert, pointed to serious issues of energy imbalance in Iran and said: "One of our main problems in the energy sector, especially in electricity and gas, is the issue of waste." He emphasized that energy waste, especially in the transmission and distribution process, is one of the main roots of energy imbalance in the country.
Dimensions of Energy Waste in Iran
Rahimi continued by presenting alarming statistics, mentioning the waste of 200 to 300 million barrels of crude oil equivalent in the gas sector and also the waste of over 400 million barrels of crude oil equivalent in the electricity sector. According to him, these figures indicate that preventing waste should be one of the most important strategies to combat imbalance.
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Rahimi stated: "When there is this level of waste in a network, the government cannot just think about resolving the imbalance by increasing prices. Increasing prices alone does not eliminate this waste." This energy expert emphasized that eliminating waste can compensate for a significant part of the existing imbalance.
Damages from Gas Waste in Flaring
Rahimi identified one of the most important examples of waste in the gas industry as the burning of gas in flares and said: "In a period of about eight years from 2013 to 2021, approximately $32 billion of gas has been burned and lost in these flares." He added: "If this gas had not been wasted, we could have collected and exported it."
He also pointed out that preventing gas waste could help supply fuel to power plants, thus enabling the export of the released liquid fuel. Rahimi clarified: "In this way, the foreign exchange revenues from this process could even exceed the estimated $32 billion for gas burning over an eight-year period."
Rahimi concluded by saying: "The government must have a clear plan to prevent waste in the energy chain. Collecting flared gas, reducing losses in the electricity network, and optimizing the production, transmission, and distribution processes are among the actions that can directly impact the imbalance."
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