Completing the second phase of a plan to recover gasoline vapor at pumps has been delayed for the last two years due to financial constraints, the head of Gas Stations’ Guild Union said.
“The development of Phase II of the project, which entails the installation of special fuel dispensing nozzles at pumps, requires an investment of at least $100 million that filling stations’ owners cannot afford,” Asadollah Qolizadeh was also quoted as saying by ISNA.
Filling stations have spent close to $10 million on purchasing disinfectants and sanitizers to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years and to complete the development project, they should invest as much money as they earn in a year, which makes no economic sense, he added.
Qolizadeh said the Cabinet had approved the budget to undertake the initiative in 2020, but the pumps did not receive it.
According to the official, the equipment to recover gasoline vapor must be imported and fluctuations in foreign currency rates have added insult to injury.
“The plan is very unlikely to see the light of the day unless the pumps get the approved budget,” he said.
He noted that the first stage of the plan was carried out in all 3,400 filling stations across the country in 2020.
According to Keramat Veiskarami, the head of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, stage I gasoline vapor recovery systems capture vapors expelled from underground storage tanks as tankers undertake refilling.
Equipment for stage I vapor recovery included fittings for gasoline storage tanks to accommodate vapor recovery hoses from the tank truck and pressure vacuum vent valves to minimize the loss of vapor from the storage tank vents.
Gasoline vapor recovery systems are implemented at two stages, he said.
Stage II captures gasoline vapor that would otherwise be vented during individual vehicle refueling at gas stations, he added.
Advanced Technology
While refueling, vapor is pushed out of the vehicle's gas tank by the inflowing fuel. The vapor is then captured by the special nozzle and directed into the underground storage tanks where they are recycled with the help of vapor recovery units (VRU), a kind of high-tech, energy saving and environmentally advanced technology.
The NIOPDC chief said vapor losses can vary widely, depending on local weather conditions, frequency of gasoline deliveries and the volume of gasoline sold at the station.
Close to 250,000 cubic meters of gasoline vapor are emitted into the air in Iran per day. Collecting the vapor can help produce as much as 380,000 cubic meters of fuel per day (with the help of VRUs).
Vapor recovery systems can reduce air pollution, save money by conserving gasoline that would be released into the atmosphere and protect public health by reducing the inhalation of the toxic gas.
Gasoline vapors accumulate in automobile and truck tanks, above the liquid level. When the tanks are filled, the rising liquid forces the vapors to seek an escape route. When a conventional nozzle is used, the displaced vapors flow out around the nozzle spout and pollute the air. When thousands of vehicles are refueled, the escaping vapors add significantly to air pollution.
According to Veiskarami, close to 86 million liters of gasoline are distributed in Iran on a daily basis, marking a 15% rise compared to a year ago.
Referring to other petroleum products, he noted that NIOPDC supplies around 5,100 tons of liquefied gas, 4 million tons of kerosene and 4.5 million liters of jet fuel per day.
The supply of gasoline, diesel and other oil derivatives across the country is continuing normally and there are no worries in this regard.
“All refineries are up and running, and petroleum byproducts have been transferred to fuel depots in major cities as usual,” he added.
The official reassured that gasoline inventories are full and the fuel has been transferred from refineries both via pipelines and tanker trucks.
“Gasoline inventories are full and the National Iranian Oil Company has no plans to import fuel to meet gasoline demand for the Norouz [Iranian New Year] holiday season.”
Daily gasoline consumption in Iran has exceeded 86 million liters and it is predicted to surpass 100 ml/d between March 17 and April 1 when families travel across the country.
NIORDC produces 105 million liters of gasoline per day, of which 52% are produced by the Persian Gulf Star Refinery and the rest by Shazand Refinery in Arak, Markazi Province, Tabriz Refinery in East Azarbaijan and Bandar Abbas and Lavan refineries in Hormozgan Province.
