Although Shahid Salimi (Neka) Power Plant in Mazandaran Province has been banned by the prosecutor of Neka County from burning mazut to generate power, it has continued to use the highly-polluting substance unabatedly, the head of Zaghmarz Islamic Council in Miankaleh County said.
“The plant’s non-compliance with the court order has endangered the lives of more than 100,000 villagers in more than 20 rural districts, the largest of which is Zaghmarz with about 15,000 residents,” Jamal Aboutalebi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
“Thanks to burning at least 2 million liters of mazut in the power station, village dwellers in and around the plant have long been suffering from skin diseases, respiratory conditions and eye problems over the last decade, but their complaints have s fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
“The facility is allowed to burn the eco-unfriendly fuel only between January and March when there is a shortage of natural gas due to high household consumption. Nonetheless, it has been burning the polluting fuel non-stop for the last five years.”
In addition to endangering public health, the air polluting fuel has adversely affected not only agricultural activities and poultry farming but also livestock breeding sector in the region that is a farming hub in the northern province, he added.
According to the official, the provincial natural gas company has made it clear that it is ready to supply the station with natural gas, but the unanswered question is why the station insists on burning mazut.
The use of mazut decreases the plant’s efficiency and incurs more maintenance expenses.
A video footage shot by eyewitnesses in the small county in Mazandaran Province has been made available to Iranian media. The footage shows brownish smoke associated with burning mazut rising from the power plant’s flue-gas stack.
Brown Smoke
The burning of natural gas produces pale white smoke, whereas using mazut for energy production leads to the emission of brown smoke that is carried over kilometers by wind and remain in the air for hours, local residents who have lived in the vicinity of the power plant for about 30 years told the news agency.
The director general of the provincial office of the Department of Environment told IRNA that the issue is crucial.
“We have filed a complaint against the power plant several times and are strongly pursuing the elimination of mazut used in the plant,” Ataolah Kavian added.
The plant was earlier banned by the judicial authorities of Neka County and initially complied with the prosecutor’s order, but has reverted back to using the highly polluting fuel.
Mazut is a heavy, low quality fuel oil used as an alternative to run thermal power plants and factories.
Located 25 km north of Neka City, the 2,000-megawatt plant is one of the largest of its kind in Iran. It has a steam power unit, four steam turbines, a combined-cycle power facility, two gas units and a steam unit.
Mazut is a heavy, low quality fuel oil used in power plants.