Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 26
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
By inauguration of Shazand oil refinery's biggest sulfur production unit, the refinery's Euro-4 and Euro-5 gasoline production capacity has reached 16 million liters per day, the refinery's managing director, Ali Shirazizadeh, said on January 26, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported.
"The sulfur production unit came on stream at the cost of 70 million euros," Shirazizadeh said.
He went on to note that the refinery currently has the capacity to annually produce 700 tons of sulfur.
Iranian IRNA News Agency reported on January 6 that the country plans to turn to high-quality and standardized gasoline in order to reduce the capital's constantly increasing air pollution.
The managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Company, Abbas Kazemi, said on January 6 that Tehran's gas stations will only distribute gasoline conforming to Euro-5 standard in two years.
Iran currently distributes 13 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards in big cities including Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Arak.
The managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Company, Abbas Kazemi, said on December 24 that the country only has the capacity to produce and distribute 13 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards. The figure is 17 million liters less than the amount that Iran's previous administration used to claim.
According to Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Iran currently imports some gasoline and octane boosters. Mehr News Agency puts the figure at 5-7 million liters per day.
The Mehr News Agency reported on December 25 that the Iranian environment department has urged the oil ministry to import high-quality and standardized gasoline because air pollution has reached an alarming level in big cities.
Several meetings have been held between officials of the environment department and the oil ministry in this regard.
Moreover, it has been announced that all the cars should meet Euro-4 standards by the end of spring next year.
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.
The air over Iran's capital, Tehran, is among the most polluted in the world. Experts say many Iranians suffer serious health problems as a result.
Motor vehicles account for 70 percent of pollution in the Iranian capital. Low quality gasoline and diesel is partially responsible for the problem.
Over 6.534 billion liters of gasoline was consumed in Iran during the summer.
The figure is 500 million liters more than the same period of time previous year, the IRNA News Agency reported.
Iran's average gasoline consumption stood at 68.5 and 68.2 million liters per day in the first and second months of summer, respectively.
The figure reached 74 million liters in the third month of summer.
Iran's average gasoline consumption stood at around 71.6 million liters per day in the previous Iranian calendar year, the ISNA News Agency reported.
Iran's total gasoline production capacity was around 60 million liters per day in the previous year.