Following the lifting of sanctions, Europe has helped Iran boost its energy exports,
Narsi Ghorban, Secretary to the Environment and Energy Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Iran, told New Europe.
"After the sanctions were removed the Iranian export increased over 1
million barrels per day,” he said on the sidelines of the 10th SE
Europe Energy Dialogue by IENE in Belgrade on June 13. "Europe was a
major factor in this increase. Lifting by European energy companies and
traders started and increased overtime to make this possible,” he added.
According to Ghorban, gas export to Europe has been one of Iran’s
aims since 1975 where IGAT II (Iran Gas Trunkline) was designed and
constructed to export 30 billion cubic metres per year to Europe.
"The revolution, war with Iran and other events changed this project
to supply local demand. The idea of gas to Europe via Turkey or through
the Mediterranean from Syria – before the Syrian War – was contemplated
but nothing has been done,” Ghorban said, adding that this was partly
due to the fact that Iran had shortage of gas in wintertime.
"Today the local demand is not increasing as fact as the gas
development are happening. There will be around 50 billion cubic metres
per year of gas available for export in the coming five years. Around 9
billion cubic metres per year will go to Iraq. Pakistan, India and
Europe may be on the agenda and also LNG (liquefied natural gas)
export,” Ghorban said.
He noted that the idea of exporting electricity instead of gas is
increasingly discussed in Iran. "This is due to changes in the price of
oil on which the price of gas is determined. And also on the heavy
investment in pipeline needed which its economics is uncertain
especially as reliance on Turkey as a transit route is politically
questioned,” he said.
"An alternative is a European consortium that invests in the pipeline
in Iran and Turkey, get the gas at certain agreed price and the
responsible for transport and marketing and above all the security of
the operation. A very unlikely scenario,” Ghorban said.
Meanwhile, Independent Energy Consultant
Yardakul Yigitguden,
former coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities,
Turkey, told New Europe on the sidelines of the IENE conference that
Iran is a huge energy producer country. "Till now they had problems to
promote foreign investment or increase the production, and I’m sure in
the future Iran will be a major supplier, he said.
US President
Donald Trump has criticised a nuclear
deal struck in 2015 between Tehran and a group of major powers including
the Obama administration, calling it the "worst deal ever”.
Asked if the Trump card could jeopardise the Iranian nuclear deal
with the West, Ghorban said, "Trump card is a shadow over all West Asia
and more over Iran. No wise company would invest unless US policy is
determined of have a direction”.
by Kostis Geropoulos, Energy & Russian Affairs Editor, New Europe
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/wary-trump-iran-eyes-energy-exports-europe/