According to NIGC, Saeid Tavakoli made the remarks on Monday (Nov. 9) in a video-conference address to the "Energy Ambassadors Campaign" conference. He said that, besides managing their own consumption, everyone should work, in proportion to the number of people they influence, to promote efficient energy use and convey the importance of saving to those around them.

Noting that every cubic meter of gas can contribute to the economy, industry, exports and national power, Tavakoli said the country's energy intensity is very high. Excessive consumption and wasteful burning of gas, he said, turn a capacity that could underpin national strength into a threat and a weakness.

Pointing to gas's 73% share of Iran's energy basket, the NIGC head said gas in Iran is not merely an industry. It is tied to industry, power plants, people's daily lives, production and national security, and therefore plays a role that goes well beyond that of a single sector.

Describing the work done to restore the gas production capacity damaged at South Pars, Tavakoli said that, thanks to his colleagues' efforts, 100 million cubic meters per day of the 230 million cubic meters of lost capacity has so far been returned to production.

He added that in the attack, the country's facilities were targeted with 26 projectiles within three minutes and 28% of gas production capacity was lost. Even so, the stability of the national gas network was not disrupted for a single moment.

Expressing appreciation for the staff of the energy supply chain, the NIGC chief said his colleagues, encouraged by the support of the people and the armed forces, stood firm and did not allow any disruption to the stability of the country's energy network.

Referring to the extent of the damage to the country's energy infrastructure, Tavakoli said 8,000 points on the gas network were damaged, four times the damage inflicted on the electricity grid.

He also referred to the incident of 27 Esfand (March 18), which he described as the largest gas incident in the world. It occurred while 11 provinces were still experiencing sub-zero temperatures, yet gas industry personnel and other members of the energy supply chain managed to maintain network stability.

Speaking about the state of gas supply and consumption, the NIGC head said that in past years the gas imbalance at peak demand reached 250 to 300 million cubic meters per day, and a further 130 million cubic meters has now been added to that figure. Demand management and the cooperation of all sectors are therefore doubly important for ensuring stable gas supply.

Tavakoli added that every cubic meter of gas saved can be made available to production and industry, though this year the production and industrial sectors must also help manage consumption.

He said no restrictions have yet been imposed on any sector, but given falling temperatures and rising household and commercial consumption, this will most likely happen. Demand management across all sectors can therefore be a great help to the country's gas network.

The NIGC head noted that people are expected to practice what they preach, not merely offer advice, and at the same time to explain to those around them how saving gas supports production and industry.

150,000 female Basij members to join the "Janfada" campaign

Referring to plans to attract public participation in energy demand management, Tavakoli said arrangements have been made to roll out the "Janfada" campaign nationwide, involving 150,000 female Basij members as energy ambassadors.

Stressing the need to draw on influential figures in promoting efficient consumption, he said: "You know your own language and audiences better, and you know who is influenced by you. Each person must become 30 people and carry the message of demand management to others."

The NIGC head named public gatherings and community venues as another way of conveying this message. Addressing attendees, he said: "You have effective and influential audiences. My request is that your words serve to strengthen the country's power, and that you not present this issue solely as one of scarcity. We must explain that, despite the damage inflicted in the recent attacks, what the enemy expected for the country and its people was not achieved."

Every household can help boost national power

Stressing the need to preserve consensus, unity and cohesion, Tavakoli said: "Iran is one, and we must all work for it. As a servant of the gas industry, I expect you to carry this message and help spread empathy and cooperation in managing consumption."

He added that every household can be a "launcher," in the sense that cutting consumption helps increase national power. If gas outages occur this year, particularly in the household sector, the main consumer, they would please the other side and serve its interests, he said.

Referring to the possibility of gas cuts in three northern provinces, the NIGC chief said the way to prevent this is to reduce consumption in other provinces. With the people's cooperation and his colleagues' efforts, he said, "we can take this tool away from the enemy as well and pass safely through this historic turning point," since the goal, through the efforts of all who contribute to Iran's honor, is a great and powerful country in the region.

Giving his own assessment of the aims of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Tavakoli said what happened in Venezuela was rooted in energy issues, and the United States has now taken control of that country's energy sector and is exploiting it. "They had the same model in mind for Iran, but the presence of the country's noble, committed and authentic people prevented that goal from being realized."

Saying the enemy has used all its instruments, he noted that it even targeted gas infrastructure, which is directly tied to people's lives and industrial activity. It does so, he said, while presenting such actions under humanitarian labels, even though attacks on gas infrastructure contravene international considerations and commitments in war.

Stressing the need to safeguard the fruits of the staff's efforts and the people's cooperation, the NIGC head said people are facing hardships and "we must not allow this maturity, pride, honor and resilience to be undermined by excessive energy consumption."

Tavakoli added that national production should not fall because extra heaters are running at home, windows are left open, we don't wear warm clothes, burners are not adjusted, or we fail to cut unnecessary lighting. All of these affect energy use, and excessive consumption under current conditions could do very serious harm to the country.

Thanking everyone working for Iran and its honor, he stressed the need for collective cooperation to maintain stable gas supply, support production and strengthen national power.

The "Energy Ambassadors Campaign" conference was held Monday, in Kerman Province, attended by Mohammad Mir-Yahya, head of the Prayer Promotion Council and Clerical Affairs of NIGC, and a group of prayer leaders.