Baku, Azerbaijan, June 14
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran will inaugurate three new gasoline production units in the current year.
Abbas Kazemi, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister, said Euro-4 gasoline production capacity will be increased by 20 million liters in the current year, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on June 14.
The Iranian calendar year starts on March 20.
The new gasoline production units will come on stream in the cities of Isfahan, Bandar Abbas, and Tabriz, he noted.
At present, 16 million liters of Euro-4 gasoline is produced, he said, adding that Euro-4 gasoline is currently distributed in Tehran, Karaj, and Arak cities.
On May 18, Kazemi said Iran will export 10 billion liters of fuel oil and diesel in the current year.
Importing gasoline is economically justified, Iran's Mehr news agency reported.
Under the international sanctions, three petrochemical units produced gasoline, he said, adding that the domestically produced gasoline was mixed with octane boosters and was supplied to the market. But, there is no longer need to produce such gasoline.
He added that the expansion of CNG stations can prevent from excessive gasoline consumption.
Managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), Abbas Kazemi, said on April 13 that Iran plans to daily import 10 million liters of gasoline to compensate for stopping production of gasoline in petrochemical complexes.
"Iranian government has ordered the petrochemical complexes to stop producing gasoline," he said, adding that the country's gasoline imports were around 3.5 million liters per day in the previous calendar year, which ended on March 20, 2014.
Speaking of pollution, Iran's Tehran is considered to be among the most polluted cities in the world.
Last year, according to PSI (Pollutant Standards Index), Iran had 147 days during which air quality was substandard. Two years ago, this number stood at 217 days.
Edited by CN