Khaberni - Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, warned that the energy crisis could intensify in a worse way during the current month of April, at a time when the region is holding its breath in anticipation of the results of the coming hours, whether by reaching an agreement to end the American-Israeli war on Iran, or by slipping towards a broader escalation.
In an interview with the French newspaper "Le Figaro", Birol said that the world is about to enter a "Black April", adding that "March was very difficult, but April will be much worse".
He explained, "If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed throughout April, we will lose twice the amount of crude oil and refined products that we lost in March."
Birol considered that the energy crisis linked to the war in the Middle East is the worst energy crisis the world has ever known, but he said that it will ultimately lead to an acceleration in the development of renewable and nuclear energies.
He noted that the world has never witnessed a disruption in energy supplies of this magnitude, while Tehran continues to close the vital Strait of Hormuz for oil and liquefied natural gas supplies globally, since the beginning of the American-Israeli war on it on February 28th.
The head of the agency believes that "the current crisis is more severe than the crises of 1973, 1979, and 2022 combined", noting that "this war blocks one of the arteries of the global economy. It is not only oil and gas, but also fertilizers, petrochemicals, helium, and many other things."
He revealed that 75 energy infrastructures were attacked and damaged, and more than a third of them were severely or very severely damaged, confirming that their restoration "will take a long time".
Changing the Structure of the Energy System
Beyond these warnings, Birol said that "there are also reasons for optimism", considering that the current crisis "will change the structure of the global energy system" in the coming years.
He continued, "It will take years where there is no solution to the current crisis, but the geopolitics of energy will undergo a significant transformation", considering that "some technologies will advance much faster than others".
He added, "This is the case for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, which can be installed very quickly. There will be a rapid resort to renewable energy sources within a few months."
According to Birol, "the crisis is supposed to invigorate the momentum in favor of nuclear power, including small modular reactors", while countries will be able to rely on additional capacity thanks to extending the life of existing power plants. He also expressed his belief that "electric vehicles will see development".
For 39 days, the energy crisis has escalated due to the war between the United States and Israel on one hand and Iran and groups allied with it in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen on the other hand, where the fires of escalation expanded to include several countries amid mutual threats of more severe attacks on energy facilities.
