TEHRAN – Natural gas consumption by Iranian households increased 30 percent during the summer of the current Iranian calendar year (June 21- September 21) compared to the same period in the previous year, Head of National Iranian Gas Company announced.

According to Hassan Montazer Torbati, the mentioned increase in gas consumption has been due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the excess use of hot water for sanitary purposes, IRIB reported.

Noting that the gas produced in gas refineries is used in domestic, commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the country’s power plants and as feedstock for petrochemical complexes, Torbati said: "According to the plan announced by the Oil Ministry, the share of power plants will be reduced in winter to prevent the interruption in the supply of gas to other sectors."

"The amount of gas supplied to the power plants and industries in winter depends on the amount consumed by the domestic and commercial sectors," said Montazer Torbati, advising people to manage their gas consumption during the cold season.

He noted that three types of fuels are consumed in the country’s power plants, including natural gas, diesel, and fuel oil, adding: “currently about 250 million cubic meters of natural gas and six to eight million liters of diesel, as well as 15 million liters of fuel oil are consumed in the power plants on a daily basis.”

The head of the National Iranian Gas Company added: "Our preference is to use natural gas as a clean and cheap fuel in power plants, but achieving this goal depends on people managing their consumption in the domestic and commercial sectors."

Montazer Torbati put the volume of gas delivered to power plants in winter at 80 to 90 million cubic meters per day, saying that power plants can receive more gas in winter only if production increases or consumption in the domestic and commercial sectors decreases.

EF/MA