Azerbaijan , Baku, March 16 / Trend, A.Yusifzade /
By launching new 7 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, total number of Iranian CNG stations reached 1,626, Shana reported.
The CNG distribution capacity increased to 1.652 million cubic meters per hour.
Currently 1,626 CNG stations are operating in Iran, but the number is slated to increase to 2,188 over the next Iranian year, 1390, (starting March 21, 2011).
Earlier, National Iranian Oil products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) managing director Farid Ameri said that Iran will soon rank first worldwide for number of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations and CNG consumption at the end of the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan in 2016.
Recently, Iran has launched the biggest CNG station worth $2.4 million in Tehran province with simultaneously refueling capacity of 32 vehicles and the capacity of fueling 8,000 automobiles round the clock.
NIOPDC data imply that building 1,191 CNG stations over the last five years have reduced gasoline imports by six billion liters.