Arman Zarei: The latest news indicates the possibility of increasing gas restrictions this winter; So that with continuity dissatisfaction Gas and the return of about 130 million cubic meters of the damaged production capacity to the circuit, the possibility of facing 11 provinces of the country with gas outages or restrictions has been raised. This warning comes at a time when the country’s industries are still struggling with the consequences of energy restrictions in the past years, and concerns about the repetition of production line shutdowns in the cold season have increased.
But the important question is, if gas restrictions are imposed on industrial units again, which industries will suffer the most? Are production companies able to use alternative fuel and how will the damage caused by reduced production, lagging behind export obligations and the possibility of workforce adjustment be compensated?
On the other hand, in a situation where the supply of gas to households is a priority, what is the industry’s contribution to this decision and what is the government’s plan to prevent repeating the losses of the past years?
In this context, Arash Najafi, the head of the Energy Commission of the Chamber of Commerce, in an interview with Khabar Online about the possibility of gas restrictions in 11 provinces of the country and the readiness of industries to face the energy imbalance, stated: The readiness of industries to face a gas shortage means having an alternative method; But industries do not have the possibility of gas storage and their consumption is also different.
Referring to the difference in gas consumption patterns in industrial sectors, he added: Some industries, such as petrochemicals, use gas as feed, steel mills use it as fuel and regenerator, and another group depends on gas to provide thermal energy. None of these industries have the possibility to store gas, and in case of a deficit, they will not have a clear solution except to reduce or stop the activity.
Steel and petrochemical industries are the most affected
Emphasizing the vulnerability of the steel and petrochemical industries to gas restrictions, the head of the Energy Commission of the Chamber of Commerce said: These two industrial groups have a special need for gas and are considered among the country’s currency-earning companies. Therefore, the restriction of gas supply can cause serious damage to their activities.
Najafi said about the Chamber of Commerce’s estimate of the amount of possible damage caused by gas restrictions this winter: Even if there is such an estimate, it will not necessarily be announced.
In response to the question of whether the gas restriction can affect the production of industries and the fulfillment of export obligations of Iranian companies, he stated: This will definitely happen and the gas restriction will affect the production and export obligations of companies.
Alternative fuel is not a sure solution either
The head of the Energy Commission of the Chamber of Commerce explained about the possibility of an increase in the cost of production if industries use alternative fuel: the main issue is not just the increase in cost, but the availability of alternative fuel is important. Access to diesel is also limited, and it is not possible to continue production activities with diesel as usual.
Reacting to the possibility of replacing diesel instead of gas in industries, Najafi stressed that comments about such a solution should be followed up by the people who proposed it.
He also said about the consequences of continued energy restrictions on employment and industrial investment: Companies are forced to manage the losses caused by production reduction in some way. When production stops or is limited but fixed costs remain, industrial units will have to reduce their fixed costs to control losses.
In the last 15 years, the government did not take any serious action to correct the consumption pattern
The head of the Energy Commission of the Chamber of Commerce criticized the government’s performance in managing the energy imbalance and stated: The government should have taken serious measures in the past 10 to 15 years to correct the consumption pattern and reduce gas and electricity consumption, but such measures have not been taken.
He added: In the current situation, we cannot hope for the government’s success in managing this issue. Because it seems that the people who are responsible for following up on this matter do not have the necessary efficiency.
The escalation of military tensions can target production infrastructure
Najafi also said about the effect of the escalation of political and military tensions on the activities of the country’s industries: In the event of a conflict, the activities of the industries will definitely be affected. Industrial units will resist as much as they can and will not stop their activities, but if the country’s infrastructure is attacked, serious damage will be done to the economy.
Expressing hope for the non-occurrence of a military conflict, he stated: If, God forbid, a conflict occurs, considering the conditions and events of the previous war, there is a possibility of a serious attack on the country’s infrastructure. Such attacks can lead to a great calamity, one of the most important consequences of which will be the stoppage of production and damage caused by lack of production.
Industries are the second priority for gas supply
The head of the Energy Commission of the Chamber of Commerce answered the question that if it is necessary to prioritize between the supply of gas to households and the continuation of industrial activities, how much will the production sector pay, he said: the government has to prioritize the people; Because this issue is also emphasized in the law. Therefore, the industry is given second priority and its activity may even be closed.
Referring to the experience of non-compensation of damages caused by electricity restrictions in industries in the past years, Najafi said: the government has not compensated the damages caused by electricity restrictions in the past years; Therefore, it is not clear how it is going to compensate for the damages caused by gas restrictions.
In the end, referring to Article 25 of the law on continuous improvement of the business environment, he said: despite the provision of mechanisms to compensate for the losses of production units, nothing special has happened in practice in this field, and the losses caused by the electricity restriction have also remained uncompensated.
223224
