Almost 70% of the thermal power plants' liquid fuel storage tanks have been filled so that they do not face shortage of feedstock during the cold season when there may not be enough gas to feed power stations, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company.

“Two years ago, about 1.9 billion liters of diesel were delivered to power plants. The figure increased last year and reached 2 billion liters. By the end of the current Iranian year [March 2021-22] 2.2 billion liters of the liquid fuel will have been delivered to the stations,” Jalil Salari was also quoted as saying by Bargh News.

Gas demand in households and industries is predicted to rise in winter, meaning power plants will have to burn liquefied fuel to keep generating power.

Natural gas supply to power plants was cut last winter due to a rise in home gas consumption, and more mazut and diesel were used. Therefore, the supply of liquefied fuels to thermal power plants is underway so that no power cuts take place in the cold season.

The Energy Ministry is collaborating with the Oil Ministry to fill the fuel storage tanks of power plants so that they can fully operate and generate electricity in winter.

Over 900 million cubic meters of gas will be injected into the Iran Gas Trunkline per day in winter to meet a projected rise in demand. Of the total, more than 700 mcm/d are expected to be used in the household sector.

A cold winter has been forecast this year because of which gas delivery to power stations may be cut to 50 mcm/d (as in last year) unless families rethink their consumption patterns.

According to the data provided by the National Iranian Gas Company, more than 67% of Iran's gas production are allocated to the domestic sector these days.

Average daily gas consumption during the second month of fall was around 536 million cubic meters, about 100 mcm higher than the same period of last year.

The increase in gas consumption before the beginning of winter occurred while last year at the peak of consumption (February 2021), gas consumption in the domestic sector reached 565 mcm per day.

Household gas consumption is expected to reach 600 mcm next week.

Iran burns record amounts of natural gas, which is way higher than the global average. While average global gas consumption has risen by 1.65% in three decades, demand for the fuel in Iran has shot up by 4.2% in the same period.

According to reports, of the 28 million gas subscribers in Iran, 25% consume gas excessively and heavy fines are set to be imposed on them from this month.