Iran’s state electricity company Tavanir has announced a series of scheduled power cuts in the country amid a cold snap that has pushed up demand for natural gas and left power plants struggling with low supplies of gasoil.

According to The Iran Project, Tavanir issued a statement late on Saturday asking its customers to check the power cut schedule announced by its local branches in the Iranian provinces.

It said the reason for power cuts was the restrictions imposed on the supply of fuel feedstock in power plants because of the current cold wave.
 

The statement said another reason for the cuts was a recent decision by the government to ban the use of mazut in power plants to prevent pollution in major industrial cities.
 

It is the first time in decades that Iran has imposed power cuts in cold months as the country faces an increasing demand for energy in its household, business, and manufacturing sectors.