Morteza Shahmirzai, in the third joint meeting on energy
efficiency with the Institute of Energy and the Energy Studies Center of the
Ministry of Oil, underscored the significance of energy supply as a lifeline for
the industry and the economy. He noted that the recent resolution of the
Islamic Consultative Assembly regarding the establishment of the "Energy
Optimization Organization" is an effective and desirable step towards
optimal energy management in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Oil, referring to the current
positive approach to governance in the energy sector and the existing
collaborations in energy supply between the Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of
Energy, expressed special emphasis and interest in continuing and enhancing
cooperation and interaction between the two organizations.
Shahmirzai considered coordination and the exchange of
energy carriers between the two ministries as a suitable solution for the
optimal utilization of existing infrastructure. Currently, the energy required
for the petrochemical industry is provided through three independent complexes:
Fajr, Mobin, and Damavand, as well as 11 power plants in petrochemical
complexes.
Shahmirzai urged project executors in the petrochemical
industry to plan carefully and recommended that they, in addition to securing
their own required capacity, support the Ministry of Energy in providing
electricity for rural and nearby urban areas.
The Deputy Minister in Petrochemical Affairs also called on
the Ministry of Energy to take the necessary care and cooperation in ensuring
the stability of power supply to petrochemical complexes, given the damages
that power outages can cause.
The CEO of the National Petrochemical Industries Company
further suggested the formation of specialized energy working groups in the
fields of power plants and new fuels at the expert level, seeing it as a
prelude to effective interaction between the two ministries.
Shahmirzai stated that the process of meeting the industry's
needs, especially goods, equipment, and machinery used in various sectors of
the petrochemical industry, is already underway by Iranian manufacturers. The
hope is to achieve full self-sufficiency in this area within the next five
years.
He concluded by saying that it is estimated that by the end
of the Seventh Development Plan, the production capacity of the petrochemical
industry will reach approximately 130 million tons, increasing to about 200
million tons by the end of the Eighth Development Plan. As a result, with the
planning that has been carried out, the petrochemical industry is on the verge
of a significant leap.
Furthermore, Shahmirzai emphasized the need to supply the
necessary electricity for new petrochemical hubs in the Makran and Jask regions
and the Persian Gulf energy-consuming zone. With the Ministry of Energy's
collaboration in securing the required electricity for these units, the hope is
that this development will contribute to the lower-tier industries' growth and
the completion of the value chain.
In the continuation of the session, an expert energy working
group composed of representatives from petrochemical industry complexes, the
Petrochemical Research and Technology Company, a representative of the National
Petrochemical Industries Company Headquarters, and the Ministry of Energy began
its work in the presence of senior executives from these organizations.