Esfahan Oil Refining Company has made concerted efforts for a long time to provide its units with much-needed water, the refinery's spokesman said.
"The refinery will have to either reduce or stop production, if the grave water shortage crisis in the province is not averted," Mohammad Sadeq Hajian was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. According to Hajian, the refining complex consumes as much as 1,000 cubic meters of water per hour, of which 700 cm are recycled and reused.
"We have been grappling with pressing water scarcity issues for a long time," Hajian said, adding that the company processes 375,000 barrels of crude per day and this level cannot be sustained unless the refining units are supplied with sufficient water. The official noted that plans are in place to buy the wastewater produced in towns located in the vicinity like Shahin-Shahr and use it to tackle the refinery's water crisis.
Located in arid regions of Iran with minimal annual precipitation, Isfahan Province has been struggling with drought for seven years. According to Mohsen Mehralizadeh, the governor general of the province, water flow to Zayandehroud Dam stood at 1.2 billion cubic meters in 2017, which has declined to as low as 400 million cubic meters.
"Of the total flow, 320 mcm are used for drinking purposes and the rest is channeled to industries," he said, noting that due to the dramatic decline in precipitation levels, industries have to reduce their water consumption by 25%.
Zayandehroud originates in the mountains of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province and flows eastward toward Isfahan before ending up in Gavkhouni Wetland. Officials say Isfahan's struggle with drought makes it difficult to supply farms with the dam's water while upholding the water rights of Zayandehroud and Gavkhouni. Unrestrained urbanization, outdated farming practices and the presence of water-intensive industries such as Mobarakeh Steel Company have put undue pressure on the province's dwindling water resources.
Isfahan refinery accounts for 23% of the country's oil derivatives and produces 8 million liters of Euro-4 quality gasoline per day.
