The Department of Environment is averse to the burning of Mazut, the eco-unfriendly fuel, in winter in thermal power plants, as its drawbacks outweigh its advantages, director of DOE’s Environmental Monitoring Office said.
“The officials of oil and energy ministries have announced that they will use as much mazut as possible in power stations, if they are not supplied with sufficient natural gas and DOE is totally against the decision but lacks the power to reverse the situation,” Mohammad Mehdi Mirzaei was also quoted as saying by ISNA.
A hot debate has been triggered following the announcement, as energy officials insist on generating electricity at any cost. Nonetheless, health and DOE authorities highlight the fact that electricity production with the help of mazut is a recipe for disaster and its short- and long-term effects must be taken into account.
The official explained that mazut produced in our refineries has a very low quality as its sulfur content has not been removed, so when it burns, it releases large volumes of polluting particles into the air.
“Despite several warnings, the refining complexes in Tehran and other mega cities like Isfahan have almost done nothing to improve the quality of their mazut,” he said.
“The power stations should also have installed control technologies on their smokestacks to reduce conventional and hazardous air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, but they have all turned a deaf ear to our warnings.”
Economic Costs
Mirzaei noted that statistics issued by the Health Ministry show close to 22,000 people lost their lives in 2020 due to air pollution-related diseases, adding that economic losses inflicted by air pollution in Iran’s eight mega cities are estimated to be around $8 billion per year.
“Breathing toxic emissions costs people in Tehran $2.6 billion per year, which means that air pollution inflicts a loss of $300 on each resident of the capital,” he said.
Although factors such as topographic features, climate conditions, driving habits of residents and fuel quality affect the severity of air pollution in cities, the most important contributing factor, especially in winter, is the burning of low-quality mazut in power stations.
With air pollution hovering above emergency levels in Tehran amid news of widespread mazut use in power stations, bureaucrats are scapegoating the public and waging blame games.
Over the years, diesel and mazut use, especially in winter, along with temperature inversion, have had a serious negative impact on air pollution.
Mazut is not suitable for power plants because it also doubles maintenance costs, increases water consumption and reduces output.
Most thermal power plants are natural-gas based and liquefied fuels have long-term adverse effects. The use of diesel and mazut instead of gas in power plants and other industries increases greenhouse gases.
As more liquid fuel is burnt, higher volumes of toxic fumes are released into the atmosphere, making a bad pollution situation worse.
When power plants do not receive enough gas, they need to either reduce output or burn liquid fuel to avoid outages.
Undesirable Option
Oil and power officials believe that mazut is not a desirable option, but to compensate for natural gas shortage and keep thermal plants running, they are compelled to use mazut.
Energy officials blame the public for the high electricity and gas use, stressing that lower consumption can lift the pressure on power plants and reduce their mazut consumption.
On the other hand, many have questioned the credibility of this narrative, as Iran is rich in natural resources and capable of producing and exporting good quality fuel. In fact, the country has been barred from exporting refined fuel to many destinations by US sanctions.
People wonder whether citizens’ health is among the government’s priorities.
Critics believe that the problem boils down to incompetence and the inherent corruption that prioritize everything over citizens’ lives and health.
However, bureaucrats have mastered the art of passing the buck. For instance, Tehran Municipality says it should not to be blamed for the toxic air pollution, as other agencies are in charge of decisions causing the problem.
Nevertheless, TM does not have the courage to name names. Remaining silent in the face of such atrocities is no less than being complicit.
DOE also highlighted the lack of authority as a limiting factor in pollution management.
During an online session with environmentalists and university professors, Behzad Ashjaie, a DOE official, said unfortunately, none of the institutions involved in controlling air pollution has been willing to collaborate with the department.
“DOE has no power to oblige them to perform their duties,” he said.
Pollution continues to plague big Iranian cities, especially Tehran, and blame largely falls on worn-out cars and power plants burning mazut. Rains do help curb pollution from time to time, but smog and pollution return soon. As a result, the weatherman continues to appeal to people, especially those with preexisting conditions and kids, to stay indoors.
