The number of Iran’s compressed natural gas statThe number of Iran’s compressed natural gas stations has reached 2,335 and plans call for further ions has reached 2,335 and plans call for further increasing the stations by 50 others in the current Iranian year (started March 20), director of CNG stations construction at the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company announced.
“With the current capacity in the CNG sector, which encompasses 13,534 nozzles, the country’s stations can supply over 2.66 million cubic meters of CNG per hour,” Ali Mehrabi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Mehrabi noted that since the beginning of the year, 15 CNG stations have been set up in 13 zones, including the cities of Kermanshah, Sari, Mashhad, Karaj, Birjand, Ardabil and the capital Tehran.
“In addition, 50 CNG stations are planned to go on stream in the present year, which will raise the country’s total number of CNG stations by 2,385,” he said.
According to the official, about 3.3% of Iranian CNG stations are out of use due to different reasons, which mainly include lack of repair and maintenance contracts and failure to pay gas bills.
CNG Consumption
Mehrabi said that based on the available data, the nation’s daily consumption of CNG reached 20 million cubic meters by the end of last year.
Earlier, Amir Vakilzadeh, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company’s director for CNG stations, told ISNA that in the past 12 years, Iran’s consumption of CNG has witnessed a 53-fold increase.
The country’s CNG consumption is projected to comprise up to 35% of the national fuel basket by the end of the sixth five-year development plan (2016-21).
As CNG remains clear, odorless and non-corrosive, Iran plans to further raise its production capacity and urge consumption. CNG vehicles typically have 20% less greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline-powered cars.
Underscoring CNG's role in curtailing gasoline consumption, Nasser Sajjadi, former managing director of the NIORDC, said in March, "If it were not because of CNG industry and gasoline rationing system, we would be consuming more than 160 million liters of gasoline per day. Needless to say, CNG has helped us restrict gasoline import. "
The official also announced that only half of the capacity of CNG stations across Iran is being used.
Sajjadi underlined the need to increase the share of CNG in the nation’s fuel basket and noted that although Iran has increased the capacity to 40 million liters of CNG per day, a daily average of 20 million liters are consumed.
