Government ordered to begin natural gas cuts to the industry for prevent blackouts or lack of electricity starting this weekend, as Clarín had anticipated.
This happens due to the polar cold that invaded the main consumption centers. The “priority demand” (homes and businesses), to which the gas cannot be turned off, is using between 75 and 80 million of cubic meters (m3) per day, when in may habitually use 45 million.
As confirmed by various sources in the sector, Since Thursday the cuts to “firm” contracts began (non-interruptible) industry textile, wood, ceramics, juices and plasticsamong other.
The lack of gas had begun to be noticed last week with the cuts to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) service stations with interruptible contracts.
This Friday at noon different commercial directors of the distribution and transport companies were gathered to decide who they would “lower the lever”.
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) had sent him a internal note to companies with instructions in case the system goes into “pre-emergency.”
If the gas was not cut off to these users due to a lack of product and a drop in the pressure of the gas pipelines, electric power cuts (which uses gas as an input) would have to begin. That is what the Government tries to avoid at all costs: scheduled cuts.
The emergency situation was motivated by a perfect storm: low temperatures unexpected by the authorities, an energy dispatch in which in recent months cost reduction was prioritized to obtain a tax savings from subsidiesthe crisis in Brazil due to floods (which took eventual electrical imports out of the system) and the delay in public works.
