In response to the polar cold that has hit the main consumption centers, the government has ordered natural gas cuts to prevent blackouts or lack of electricity. This decision was made following a report by Clarín. The “priority demand” (homes and businesses) is currently using between 75 and 80 million cubic meters (m3) per day, compared to the usual 45 million in May.
The cuts to “firm” contracts (non-interruptible) for industries such as textiles, wood, ceramics, juices, and plastics began on Thursday. The lack of gas had already been noticed earlier with cuts to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) service stations with interruptible contracts.
On Friday at noon, commercial directors of distribution and transport companies met to decide which industries would be affected by the gas cuts. The National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) had previously sent internal instructions to companies in case the system entered a “pre-emergency” situation.
The government aims to avoid scheduled power cuts by implementing these gas cuts due to the unexpected lower temperatures, energy dispatch that prioritized cost reduction, the crisis in Brazil, and delays in public works. This emergency situation is a result of several factors that have created a perfect storm, leading to the need to take immediate action to prevent wider electricity shortages.
