Tehran, Iran, Aug. 31
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran seeks to be able to daily produce 12 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-5 standard in the first half of the next Iranian calendar year (to start March 21, 2015).
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that once the Persian Gulf Star refinery comes on stream, Iran will be able to produce gasoline conforming to Euro-5 standard, Iran's IRNA News Agency reported on August 30.
He went on to note that the country currently only imports Euro-4 gasoline.
Iran has averagely imported 4.9 million liters of gasoline per day from the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year so far.
Managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), Abbas Kazemi, said that the figure shows a four percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported on August 27.
"Currently, Iran's gasoline production stands at 63 million liters and is expected to reach 66 million liters at the end of the year (March 20, 2015)," he said, adding that the country's gasoline production is expected to reach 70 million liters by next spring.
He went on to note that daily 17 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 standard is being produced in the country.
"Iran's gasoline consumption increased by 4 percent in the current year compared to the previous year. That's why, the country's gasoline consumption in the previous year showed a seven percent increase compared to its preceding year," Kazemi added.
Iran is expected to import a total figure of 2 billion liters by the end of the current year.
Iran's average gasoline consumption in the current year has reached 70 million liters per day, some 1.5 percent more than in the same period of the previous year.
Over the past several years, Iran's gasoline import dependence has significantly decreased as a result of increased domestic refining capacity and subsidy cuts. Iran plans to increase gasoline production capacity at the Isfahan and Bandar Abbas refineries by the end of 2014.
Despite the refinery expansions, FGE expects Iran's gasoline imports to increase over the medium and long term because of increased gasoline demand and the government's plan to reduce gasoline production at the petrochemical plants. However, gasoline demand is expected to decrease in the short term because of higher prices as a result of subsidy cuts.
It was announced on June 9 that Iran plans to distribute gasoline conforming to Euro-4 standard in 8 major cities by December.
The country currently distributes only Euro-4 gasoline in Tehran, Arak, and Karaj, Iran's IRIB News Agency reported on June 9.
Kazemi said on July 5 that Iran currently distributes 28 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 standard across the country.
"Each day some 16 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 standard is being produced in Shazand oil refinery, and another 2 million in Tabriz refinery," he explained.
"We also import 10 million liters of gasoline conforming to Euro-4 standard," he said.
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