Since its launch in 2002, Iran’s CNG program has helped the country save about $75 billion in fuel expenses, according to Saeed Rahman-Salari, director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company’s CNG Project. He said the network currently includes 2,365 active stations nationwide with a combined daily supply capacity of about 40 million cubic meters of natural gas. These figures place CNG among the most impactful energy-substitution programs in Iran’s transport sector.
Rahman-Salari noted that over the past two decades, Iranian motorists have conducted more than 12 billion CNG refueling transactions, consuming roughly 120 billion cubic meters of CNG. This volume, he said, is equivalent to saving 120 billion liters of gasoline, the economic value of which he reiterated at around $75 billion. He emphasized that the expansion of CNG is not only a technical achievement but also a legal obligation under Iran’s Seventh Development Plan.
Despite heavy reliance on the CNG network, Iran remains one of the world’s highest gasoline consumers. Daily gasoline consumption frequently hovers between 100 and 120 million liters, placing substantial pressure on the government’s subsidy system and increasing dependency on fuel imports during peak periods. Analysts warn that without aggressive fuel-substitution policies, including further expansion of CNG, Iran’s gasoline deficit could widen.
Rahman-Salari highlighted new investments aimed at addressing these concerns. Over the past year, 25 new CNG stations have been launched with $19 million in investment, resulting in the equivalent saving of 288 million liters of gasoline imports. Another 93 stations are currently under construction. However, he cautioned that 376 cities still lack CNG stations, stressing that social and economic equity requires government-backed investment in these underserved areas.
He added that Iran distributes 16 million liters of CNG per day, a volume comparable to the combined production of several domestic refineries. Without CNG, he argued, Iran would need to invest $36,000 per barrel in refinery construction to meet demand. Rahman-Salari also noted that average station utilization stands at just 5.7 hours per day, while technical capacity allows for up to 14 hours, leaving significant room for efficiency gains if pricing and support policies are optimized.
