TEHRAN – Iranian power plants have consumed about 218 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) of natural gas on average since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2021), registering a 10-percent rise compared to the average figure for the previous year’s same time span, Mehr News Agency reported.

According to Head of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Majid Chegeni, the increase in gas consumption by the power plants comes in a condition when the gas consumption by the domestic sector has also increased significantly due to the increase in the number of households connected to the national gas network and the early temperature decline across the country.

Chegeni noted that the gas consumption by the domestic sector during the eighth Iranian calendar month of Aban (ended on November 21, 2021) increased 20 percent compared to the previous year’s same month.

He put the average daily injection of gas into the national network since the beginning of the current year at 707 mcm, saying that this figure has also increased by four percent year on year.

“Despite the increase in consumption by the domestic sector, so far, over 340 million cubic meters per day of gas has been delivered to industries and power plants on average, which is more than the commitment of the National Iranian Gas Company in this regard,” the NIGC head added.

Chegeni expressed concern about the increasing trend of gas consumption in the domestic sector and said: "Hopefully, people will have more control over their consumption so that we are not forced to limit gas supply to power plants and industries.”

The official noted that last year during the winter the domestic sector’s daily gas consumption had reached 650 mcm which was drastically high and six times more than the average global standard.

Back in December 2021, NIGC Dispatching Director Mohammadreza Jolaei had said NIGC was supplying 175 mcm of natural gas to the country’s power plants on a daily basis despite the surge in domestic consumption.

“Gas consumption in the domestic and commercial sectors has now reached 500 million cubic meters per day,” Jolaei had told IRNA on December 5.

EF/MA