Baku, Azerbaijan, March 21
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iranians burned over 104 million tons of gasoline on March 19, indicating 11.92 percent increase year-on-year.
The figure increased by 15 million litters compared to the preceding day, March 18, ILNA news agency reported March 21.
Tehran province registered the highest gasoline consumption in the country with 16 million liters.
The provinces of Isfahan (7.6 million liters of gasoline), Fars (7.4 million liters) and Kerman (4.9 million liters) were the other top gasoline consuming provinces on March 19.
Gasoline consumption in Iran during a period from March 2015 to February 2016 stood at 70.6 million liters per day, which indicates 1.4 million liters per day increase year-to-year.
Iran says it will stop gasoline import by August 2016 after the Persian Gulf Star refinery's first phase becomes operational.
By fully commencing the Persian Gulf Star refinery (all of its three phases), Iran will increase its gasoline output by 36 million liters per day.
The country's gasoline output is currently around 64 million liters, so it needs to import the rest. The Islamic Republic currently imports only Euro 4 gasoline.
Iran used to import 40 percent of its needed gasoline by 2009. But international sanctions forced it to produce gasoline domestically by adding lead or some poisonous chemical catalysts to the product.
Earlier, the administration of President Hassan Rouhani ordered to stop the distribution of substandard gasoline.