Efforts are being made to stop using diesel as feedstock in the southern Sistan-Baluchestan Province's power plants by the end of the current fiscal year that ends in March 2019, the head of Zahedan's National Iranian Oil Byproducts Distribution Company said.
"Diesel consumption stood at 36 million liters during the last five months, indicating a 76-million- liter decline compared with last year's corresponding period," Kourosh Baladast was also quoted as saying by Shana on Monday.
"Power plants are moving toward replacing polluting fuels with natural gas as a cleaner energy resource, which will have profound effects on curbing air pollution," he said.
Referring to other power stations in the region, he added that close to 120 million liters of eco-unfriendly fuel was distributed in 2017, which has witnessed a 63% drop in 2018, at 45 million liters.
The official added that the government has instructed power plants and refineries to use gas instead of polluting feedstock such as mazut and diesel due to abundance of gas reserves and the output rise in South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf.
Baladast noted that Khash power plant's diesel consumption has decreased to as low as 2 million liters, showing a 28% fall compared to that of last year.
Sistan-Baluchestan power plants have been supplied with gas since March 2017 when an extension of Iran Gas Trunkline 7 started to pump natural gas from Asalouyeh in Bushehr Province to Iranshahr in Sistan-Baluchestan Province.
The underdeveloped area is the only region in the country, which is largely cut off from the national gas grid, according to published reports.
Companies and utilities in the province, including large cement manufacturing plants and a major water desalination unit, have reportedly been hurt as a result of repeated delays in developing gas supply projects and the increase in price of alternative fuels such as diesel.
Close to 1,300 kilometers of pipeline are required for supplying natural gas across Zahedan, which is expected to be completed by 2021. Plans call for gas supply to cities in Sistan-Baluchestan, including Zabol, Khash, Konarak and Chabahar, as well as to the province’s power plants.
