Tehran – The head of the Industry Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce has strongly criticized the government for unannounced and widespread electricity outages that have severely impacted industrial production across the country.
In an interview with the state-run news agency ILNA , Alireza Kolahi-Samadi expressed deep concern over what he described as a growing energy crisis, warning that the lack of reliable power is causing “irreparable damage” to production lines, machinery, and components. “Many industrial units have experienced unexpected blackouts in recent months,” he said. “These outages have resulted in the manufacturing of substandard products, damage to electronic equipment, and significant waste.”
Kolahi-Samadi cited the example of a single medium-sized company that has reportedly suffered financial losses exceeding 13 billion tomans due to recurring outages. “Electricity is like blood for industry,” he stressed. “If this situation continues, we will witness the complete shutdown of production in several sectors.”
He noted that the steel industry has been hit hardest, yet the government has failed to heed repeated warnings or invest in infrastructure upgrades. He further criticized the regime’s Ministry of Energy for breaching its electricity purchase contracts with solar power producers and green energy subscribers. “Even solar plants and users with prepaid contracts have had their electricity cut,” Kolahi-Samadi revealed. “This has severely undermined investor and industry confidence in the country’s energy system.”
According to him, many industrial producers are currently operating at only 50 percent of their electricity demand, facing both scheduled and unplanned outages. “Industries already struggling with market instability, liquidity shortages, and labor challenges are now being asked to offset the electricity supply crisis—particularly by relying on underdeveloped solar capacity,” he added.
Kolahi-Samadi warned that unless the situation improves, high-consumption sectors such as steel may soon be forced to cease operations entirely, with outages now averaging the equivalent of ten days per month in some facilities.
He stressed that the issue extends beyond electricity generation. “It’s not just about power plant capacity—the transmission and distribution networks are deteriorating rapidly after years of neglect and insufficient investment,” he said.
In closing, Kolahi-Samadi lamented the failure of a government support package that was initially approved to compensate producers for power-related damages. “Despite approval by the infrastructure commission, the package has been rendered ineffective due to opposition from tax authorities and the Social Security Organization. As a result, not a single producer has received assistance.”
The warning underscores broader concerns about the resilience of Iran’s industrial infrastructure amid ongoing energy supply challenges and economic pressures.
