Burning fuel oil threatens Iran with risks (article)

Cutting off gas supplies to power plants, and increased burning of fuel oil, were cited as contributing factors to the critical wave of air pollution in Iran over the past winter.

The country has imposed restrictions on the consumption of gas, due to the supply of this fuel to cold cities; This led to the consumption and burning of fuel oil in power plants.

This situation, along with the challenges related to sanctions in the country, has led to an increase in the consumption and burning of fuel oil; Where 14 out of 16 power plants now depend on it.

The Committee on Article 90 of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Iran recently issued a report that included a warning of the dangers of the continued use of unconventional fuel in power plants to the lives of Iranian citizens. The study was released in the last week of June.

It should be noted that fuel oil is a type of furnace oil with low quality and high viscosity.

It is used in thermal power plants and similar applications, and refineries sell this product to industries at a very low price.

Fuel oil and air pollution

The use of polluted fuels, such as the burning of fuel oil, increases air pollution in Iran, and its direct effects are more evident in children, the elderly, and heart patients. It can cause respiratory symptoms such as acute bronchitis in healthy people.

The high levels of air pollution in Iran lead to short-term effects such as coughing and sore throat.

According to the report of the Committee on Article 90 of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, the Iranian Ministry of Energy not only lacks the use of renewable energy sources, but also increasingly relies on burning fuel oil.

A spokesperson for the Article 90 Committee, which specifically oversees the performance of the government, judiciary and parliament, highlighted these concerns.

In response, the Committee emphasized the urgency of significantly addressing air pollution in Iran, and urged enforcement of legislative measures to combat pollution and its negative effects.

Air pollution prevention law in Iran

Implementation of Iran’s Air Pollution Prevention Law, enacted in 1995, and the subsequent Clean Air Law of 2017 has been incomplete and ineffective; This has led to fewer days of clean air in major Iranian cities such as Tehran.

Earlier, the Article 90 Committee of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly submitted detailed reports on Iran’s air pollution legislation to Parliament and made recommendations to solve the problem.

A recent report, which is currently under investigation by the legal authorities, focuses on finding short- and medium-term solutions to mitigate the effects of air pollution in Iran, especially major cities, with the aim of mitigating the damage caused by pollution taking into account the current conditions.

the enactment of the Clean Air Law in Iran in 2017; This obliges the various executive bodies such as the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Oil, and the Ministry of Energy to take measures to control air pollution in Iran.

On the other hand, the Clean Air Law, which was passed in 2017 under the then Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, was supposed to be a detailed plan to solve environmental problems in Iran. Among other things, the law targeted the use of diesel by significantly lowering the permitted sulfur levels in fuel oil.

The report criticizes the failure of these institutions and ministries to address the issue of air pollution. According to the Article 90 Committee report, 14 out of 16 power plants in Iran depend on burning fuel oil; Which leads to increased air pollution.

The report identifies several factors; Including the failure of the Ministry of Oil to implement fuel oil burning standards in power plants and the non-compliance of locally produced fuel with national standards.

Moreover; The Ministry of Energy’s limited use of renewable energy sources and the Ministry of Agriculture’s neglect of measures such as the creation of green belts exacerbate the situation. The National Standards Institution has not issued guidelines to prevent the import of non-standard fuels, in violation of the Clean Air Act.

The report highlights the estimated cost of death and disease from particulate air pollution in Iran, stressing the need for action.

Sulfur pollution treatment

The Committee on Article 90 of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly urged the Oil Ministry to address sulfur pollution resulting from the consumption and burning of fuel oil, gasoline and diesel, despite the exceptional circumstances in the country due to sanctions.

The committee called on Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade to phase out old vehicles and motorcycles.

Severe air pollution in Iran, particularly in cities such as Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan, is an ongoing crisis. The Iranian government invokes the sanctions as an impediment to fulfilling international obligations and complying with domestic laws, including the Clean Air Act.

The decrease in the number of clean days in Tehran is attributed to the use of fuel and the burning of non-standard fuel oil in industries and power stations.

Emissions from burning fuel oil are deadly

The emissions from burning fuel oil are toxic and deadly, and the United Nations has described its burning in Iran as a violation of human rights.

She noted that Iranian security authorities were concerned about the impact of the gas shortages during the winter season on fueling public discontent, which was a factor in the nationwide protests.

Among the main factors that contributed to the air pollution crisis in Iran are government incompetence, widespread corruption, unwillingness to adopt the experiences of other countries in improving air quality, and refraining from importing clean cars.

According to the report of the Committee on Article 90 of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, the number of unhealthy days for “sensitive groups” increased from 89 days to 115 days, from the beginning of the Iranian calendar year 2018 to 2022.

The report highlights the increase in the number of extremely unhealthy and dangerous days from 2020 to 2021, as well as the worsening of unhealthy conditions for all groups.

A commission spokesperson stressed the urgent need for a massive budget to combat air pollution across the country.

These budget requirements cover only the government portion, while additional funding sources are expected to contribute to the total amount requested.

Factors such as healthcare costs under sanctions, high inflation, drug shortages, and currency depreciation all contribute to the significant financial burden.

The economic cost of mortality

A recent report by Iran’s Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, in collaboration with the Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center, estimated the economic cost of deaths from fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 pollution.

The cost of these pollutants refers to particulate matter with a diameter equal to or less than 2.5 micrometers in Iran and was estimated at $3.11 billion in 2021.

In addition, the report highlighted the average economic cost of deaths from long-term exposure to PM2.5 in Tehran alone, amounting to about $3.4 billion in the same year.

The report emphasized the problem of using low-quality fuels such as petroleum fuels and the failure of standardization organizations to prevent the import of fuels without appropriate standards.

The report highlighted the neglect of responsibilities on the part of institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the lack of educational and awareness programs of the Iranian National Broadcasting Corporation (IRIB) regarding air pollution. The report pointed to the alarming increase in health care costs resulting from air pollution.

Insufficient enforcement of environmental laws

Despite these alarming numbers; Implementation of environmental laws and budgetary commitments falls short.

Less than 10% of the 60 legal provisions of the Clean Air Act have been implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition, the Planning and Budgeting Authority failed to meet its obligations as of December 2021, leaving the allocated funds of 320 billion Iranian rials ($7.57 million) unused.

The main cause of pollution in Tehran’s air is attributed to particles smaller than 2.5 microns, stemming from outdated industries and transportation systems.

The surprising thing is that the Ministry of Health has not taken sufficient measures to address this pressing issue.

Although there has been a declining trend in the annual concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns since 2009; The levels will still exceed the permissible limits.

For its part, the Ministry of Oil did not impose the necessary standards for the use of petroleum fuel in power plants, and the fuel produced in the country was not provided in accordance with the approved national standards.

The Ministry of Energy did not make effective use of renewable energy sources; This led to an increase in dependence on oil fuel due to the sanctions.

It is noteworthy that the problem of air pollution in Iran will worsen in the coming fall and winter and pose a serious threat to the health of the population because of the halt in nuclear negotiations, and the sanctions have not yet been lifted, or because Iran is still suffering from a shortage of natural gas.

* Dr. Omod Shoukry, senior advisor on foreign policy and energy geopolitics, is the author of “US Energy Diplomacy in the Caspian Basin: Changing Trends Since 2001.”

*This article represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the energy platform.