Claim by Head of Budget and Planning Organization: 'Iran's Gas Consumption is Equivalent to China's'

The head of the Budget and Planning Organization stated that gas consumption in Iran is equivalent to that of all of China. Hamid PourMohammadi said on Sunday, September 16, in a meeting with the representatives of the Iran Chamber of Commerce: 'The country's consumption is equal to the total consumption of China, while China's population and economic growth are much greater than ours.' He also mentioned that gas consumption in Iran is equivalent to that of 25 European countries or 50% of the continent. However, official data do not support the claims made by the head of Iran's Budget and Planning Organization. Gas consumption in European countries is about four times that of Iran, and gas consumption in China is also 65% higher than in Iran. Mr. PourMohammadi also stated that 230 billion cubic meters of gas are produced annually in the country, with five billion cubic meters exported, leading to over 225 billion cubic meters consumed domestically. These statistics also significantly differ from official and international reports. Last year, Iran produced 252 billion cubic meters of gas (excluding losses during production), with over 14 billion cubic meters exported. Considering gas imported from Turkmenistan, domestic gas consumption last year was 245 billion cubic meters. The head of the Budget and Planning Organization also did not mention that the relatively high gas consumption in Iran is mainly due to the lack of development of other energy production resources, including solar and wind energy, under the Islamic Republic's government, with a significant portion of the country's energy relying on gas. For example, last year in China, even without counting Hong Kong, gas consumption was 65% higher than in Iran, and its oil consumption was about ten times that of Iran. With Khamenei's approval, the share of the National Development Fund from oil and gas revenues was halved this year. Additionally, last year, coal consumption in China was 1150 times that of Iran, nuclear energy consumption was 65 times, hydropower consumption was 55 times, and solar and wind energy consumption was 815 times that of Iran. According to reports from international organizations, including the World Bank and the International Energy Agency, Iran's gas loss during production, transmission, and distribution reaches about 30 billion cubic meters annually. This figure is equivalent to 12% of the country's total gas consumption and half of the gas consumption of Iranian households. However, the head of the Budget and Planning Organization did not refer to this massive energy wastage. Iran faces over a 20% electricity deficit in summer and a 25% gas deficit in winter. The winter gas deficit in Iran exceeds 250 million cubic meters per day, which is equivalent to Turkey's total daily gas consumption in the same season. Regarding Turkey, which has a population somewhat similar to that of Iran, although its gas consumption is about one-fifth of Iran's and its oil consumption is 35% lower than Iran's, solar and wind energy consumption in Turkey is 35 times that of Iran, coal consumption is 20 times that of Iran, and hydropower consumption is three times that of Iran.