Summer power cuts to industry take hold; steel and cement squeezed by energy shortfall

With the summer 1405 peak-demand season under way, electricity restrictions on industry have been reimposed. According to the Taadol newspaper, producers say the industrial power cut has been eased from two days a week to one. Iran's cement industry association has warned that output could be halted by the cuts, while steel units are also facing severe energy limitations. The electricity and gas imbalance has become one of the main obstacles to production in Iran's energy-intensive industries in recent years, especially steel and cement, resulting in lower output, reduced corporate revenue, and a decline in exports and foreign-exchange earnings.