The quality of premium gasoline in eight major Iranian cities has increased by 7%, deputy for supervision at the Iranian National Standards Organization said.
Vahid Marandi-Moqadam added that INSO's tests show the citizens of Shiraz and Tehran receive higher-quality gasoline, with Isfahan and Arak's fuel quality ranking lower, IRNA reported. The other cities surveyed included Tabriz, Mashhad, Karaj and Ahvaz.
"According to the tests, premium gasoline in the eight cities meets 83% of INSO's standard criteria," Marandi-Moqadam said without elaboration.
The official added that sampling gasoline grades started nearly two years ago and the initiative has since gained pace in Iran's highest standard-setting body.
According to some reports, regular gasoline in Iran has an octane number of 92 and the number for premium gasoline, marketed as Super, is 95.
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the performance of an engine or aviation fuel. In simple terms, higher octane number indicates higher quality of gasoline.
INSO officials say the octane number should stand between 95 and 98 to be within the acceptable rating range.
Exacerbating air quality and the rising number of pollution-related deaths in recent years have spurred authorities to improve gasoline quality.
A crucial step to that end is the distribution of Euro-4 gasoline—a premium-quality gasoline that meets European Union's emission standards.
A number of Iran's largest cities, including the capital Tehran with a population of around 12 million and severe air quality standards, were the first to receive Euro-4 gasoline, but plans call for supplying top-quality gasoline at a nationwide level.
The Persian Gulf nation imports around 9 million liters of gasoline per day to meet its daily demand of above 70 million liters. But its largest refinery project, the Persian Gulf Star Refinery, is set for launch by March 17 after a long development haul that will turn Iran into a gasoline exporter and a producer of Euro-4 gasoline.
According to reports, INSO, Air Quality Control Company and municipalities closely monitor gasoline production in Iranian refineries by sending random samples of domestic gasoline to major international laboratories for testing.
