The output of diesel compliant with Euro 4 and 5 standards has increased by 17 million liters per day, said the director of coordination and production supervision at the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company.
“The new hydrogen purification units in Bandar Abbas and Tabriz refineries have increased the quality of diesel and daily production by 75%,” Shana, the Oil Ministry's news portal, quoted Saeed Maddah-Moravej as saying.
These units have reduced the amount of sulfur produced in the refineries from 10,000 parts per million to 50 pmm that is within global limits, and in some other units, from 10,000 pmm to 10 pmm – complying with Euro 5 standard.
“It is indeed a big step forward in the production of quality diesel fuel,” Maddah-Moravej said.
Euro 4 and 5 diesel has been sold nationwide since last month. Bandar Abbas Refinery in Hormozgan Province produces 14 million liters of diesel per day that is sold in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Bushehr and Kerman.
“Distribution of quality diesel in three main southern port cities, namely Bandar Abbas, Chabahar and Bushehr, is very important as they are among major departure and destination points for many diesel-fueled trucks and trailers,” Maddah-Moravej said.
Daily diesel output in Tabriz Refinery, East Azarbaijan Province, is three million liters sold to East and West Azarbaijan, Ardebil and Kurdistan provinces.
Currently, Bandar Abbas, Tabriz, Arak, Tehran and Lavan refineries produce 42 million liters of Euro 4 and 5 diesel a day. The fuel is sold in Tehran, Markazi, Isfahan and Alborz, Zanjan and Yazd provinces as well.
European emission standards define the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of vehicles. Euro 4 and Euro 5 concentrate on cleaning up emissions from diesel cars, especially reducing particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen.
