NIORDC Upholds Quality of Imported Gasoline

The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said imported gasoline meets the country's strict emission standards, denying speculations about the low quality of the fuel.

“Imported gasoline complies with our emission standards, otherwise gasoline cargos will be denied entry,” Abbas Kazemi, the head of NIORDC, was quoted as saying by IRNA on Saturday.

Kazemi added that Euro-4 quality gasoline is distributed in eight major cities, namely Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Arak and Tabriz.

The worsening air quality and 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 fuel that meets European Union's emission standards.

A number of Iran's largest cities were the first to receive Euro-4 gasoline, but plans call for supplying top-quality gasoline nationwide.

According to the official, Iran’s total gasoline production stands at 67 million liters per day, of which 27 ml/d comply with Euro-4 emission standards.

"Average gasoline use has been close to 80 ml/d in the present fiscal year that started in March, but consumption has reached 84 ml/d in recent days because of the busy summer travel season," Kazemi said.

Iran took a major step toward self-reliance in gasoline production in April upon the launch of Phase 1 of the Persian Gulf Star Refinery in the southern Hormozgan Province.

Once in full swing, the refinery will produce 36 ml/d of gasoline, which will effectively cut gasoline imports and turn Iran into an exporter of the product.

Plans are in place to attract billions of dollars to upgrade aging refineries following years of trade interruption with the outside world, which deterred development and investment in the key industry.

Tabriz Oil Refining Company signed a €1.6 billion ($1.88 billion) deal this month in Tehran with SK E&C Company of South Korea and Oil Design and Construction Company of Iran on financing and implementing a project to improve the quality of the refinery’s oil byproducts.