Iran plans to expand its network of gas pipelines from 36,000 kilometers to 45,000 kilometers in eight years, the managing director of National Iranian Gas Transmission Company said.
“By 2025, the length of Iran’s gas pipelines should increase by 9,000 km and the annual gas transfer capacity is planned to reach 400 billion cubic meters from 240 billion cubic meters at present,” Saeed Tavakkoli was also quoted as saying by Shana in a news briefing on Sunday.
Tavakkoli added that the country aims to build 51 new gas compression stations in the eight years, taking the total number to 130.
A record amount of 746 million cubic meters of gas were transferred domestically on Dec. 14, topping the previous high of 712 mcm on February 8.
"Iran's gas network has the capacity to transport some 800 million cubic meters of gas daily," he said, adding that the current infrastructure allows for the supply of up to 40 mcm/d of gas to Turkey and 25 mcm/d to Iraq.
The official added that NIGTC has saved about 1.3 trillion rials (about $31 million) in costs by implementing a new pipeline repair and maintenance method that does not require removing natural gas from the pipeline.
“The maximum volume of gas leakage in Iranian pipelines is estimated at 13 mcm/d, or less than 2%,” he told IRNA, adding that it varies from 0.2% and 15% in other countries.
On the first domestically-manufactured turbine for a compression station in Isfahan Province, Tavakkoli stressed that the turbine is now up and running with 25 megawatts in power generation capacity.
The Sixth Iran Gas Trunkline, an important stretch of the national gas grid, is expected to go on stream by the end of this month, raising gas supply capacity by 70-80 million cubic meters a day.
The pipeline is designed to transfer fossil fuel from South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf to southern and western regions, namely Hamedan and Kermanshah provinces.
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