Iran's energy sector review

Iranian ruling Conservatives Coalition formed "Unification Committee" without inviting and involving Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s representatives. This Committee is aimed at unifying conservatives to direct the participation and competition of representatives in next parliamentary election scheduled for March 2012, reported Fars News Agency. This Committee has been formed by influent conservative representatives close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini such as Secretary-General of the Islamic Coalition Party Habibullah Asgaroladi, Khamenei's advisor Ali Akbar Velayati and former Speaker Gholamhossein Haddad Adel. The contradictories between Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei began earlier on Iranian Information Minister Heidar Moslehi’s sacking by Ahmadinejad. Khameni did not allow Ahmadinejad to sack Moslehi and then Ahmadinejad abstained from participating at work for two weeks. After that, several Ahmadinejad’s government senior officials in...

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov's statement regarding opening of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in the near future has again raised the question of safety of this plant. Ryabkov said that the operations to inject fuel into the core of the reactor of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant have been completed and the plant will start working in the near weeks. Bushehr NPP, which is Iran's first and only nuclear power plant, will produce 1,000 megawatt power per year. Its construction was started by Germany in early 1970s and afterwards, was stopped and shifted to Russia in 1995. The safety of the Bushehr nuclear power plant is Iran’s first priority, so Iran has tried to observe all necessary safety precautions before launching the reactor, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said. Launching the station is considered the next success in the nuclear program, which is a priority for Ahmadinejad's government, and Iran tries to launch this plant as soon as possible, ...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted the economic growth of Iran at zero for 2011. The IMF estimated Iran’s economic growth at 1 percent in 2008, 0.1 percent in 2009, and 1 percent in 2010. In its 2010 report, the IMF reported that Iran’s GDP growth was at 1.1 percent in 2009 and forecasted the figure to reach 1.6 percent. Iran refused to publicize the official economic development data from 2009. Claiming about a continues rapid economic development in the country, the Iranian president stressed that 1.6 million jobs were opened over the last year and 2.5 million in this year. The Iranian officials link the high index and increase in the price of shares in the exchange observed over the past year, particularly the fact that the index reached its record in the past ten days, with a normal and constant situation in the country. Roughly 375,000 million shares were sold at the Tehran Exchange on Monday. Based on the official data, the share price hit $135 million, which lea...

Iranian labor minister Ali Reza Sheykholeslami said that roughly $100 million were allocated in 2011 within the program of creating the working conditions at home, namely, working and earning money at home instead of working in the office. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced about creating about 1.600.000 new jobs in the country for the last year (the New Year starts in Iran on March 21). He also promised to create 2.5 million new jobs this year. At present, roughly 75 million people live in Iran. The youth represents the most part of the population. According to the statistics, roughly 900,000 young people are able to work per year, that is, minimum 900,000 new jobs must be created to provide these people with jobs. According to the statistics, the unemployment rate hits 14.5 percent in the country. This statistics includes people working an hour per week, students, housewives and soldiers as those provided with jobs. According ...

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presented "last minute" next year's budget project to Parliament.(the New Year starts on March 21due to Iranian history ). The Parliament needs 45 days to approve the budget draft. Although there is no details given on the information, Ahmadinejad said the total volume of the budget would be 539 billion dollars. In comparison with the current year's budget (from March, 2010 to March, 2011) this figure exceeds it by 46 percent (171 billion dollars) The total volume of the 2010 budget was 368 billion dollars. Ahmadinejad's budget plan submitted to Parliament two months later than expected indicates different factors that may cause its increase. With the cancellation of subsidies in December 2010 the Iranian authorities reduce state expenditures by 57 bln dollars per year. Although the US currency's exchange rate in 2010 was 950 tumens (Iranian currency), it is 1050 tumens in 2011 budget, as well as oil price in 2010 budget ...

The Iranian people overthrew the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 32 years ago on Feb.11. The escaped King, who was exiled from the U.S., could find asylum at Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, but after a while he passed away. Today, 32 years later on the same day Hosni Muburak, who replaced Sadat, has resigned. Of course, the dates coincide by chance, but both events have similar features in many cases. The result in Iran is obvious - the first generation of revolutionaries created an Islamic republic, but the revolution is still continuing, despite the fact that the first generation of the revolution are now in the opposition camp. Despite the fact that the second generation leading the country differs in terms of tactics, they continue the mission of the Islamic revolution. But, how the things will be in Egypt? Liberal and democratic forces have harassed and were weakened by the Shah government as a result of pressure. Thus, after the revolution, the Islamists, without enemies and...

Iran's prospects to increase production of LNG in the near future are doubtful. Low production levels, the stagnation in gas production projects, and the lack of local infrastructure for the construction of a gas liquefaction plant, outweighs the high demand for gas in the country. As LNG production company head, Ali Kheyrandish said in an interview with the Iranian Mehr news agency, $ 450 million are allocated for the implementation of projects for gas liquefaction, and by 2015 the plan is to bring LNG's production to 70 million tons per year. Last month, Qatar, the world leader in LNG production, brought the export of liquefied natural gas to 77 million tons per year, while launching the 6th and 7th phases of the "Katargaz" project. Leaving behind in 2002 Indonesia, ensuring 21 percent of the world's LNG, Qatar by upgrading its plants, produced 21 million tons of liquefied natural gas in 2006 . Over the past four years, Qatar has been able to increase LNG pr...