Iranian CNG Development Costs Recovered

Minister of Oil Gholamhossein Nozari has referred to a rise in CNG stations across the country and peoples’ interest in consumption of this fuel, while underlining that up to now all the costs of CNG industry development have been recovered and compensated by a fall in gasoline imports. In an interview with Mehr news agency, the minister of oil added: “As of March 2009, 55 single-purpose and double-purpose CNG stations have been launched, with the overall number of CNG stations currently standing at 874. Moreover, currently, there are more than a 1,000 CNG stations under construction.” The minister of oil referred to loans available for private investors for construction and development of fuel stations, while based on predictions, with due participation of the private sector, the number of gasoline and CNG stations throughout the country’s major cities and especially Tehran will raise. Furthermore, Nozari emphasized 115 new CNG stations are under construction in Tehran Province, and with the completion of their construction, there will be 249 active CNG stations in Tehran Province. Out of these active CNG stations across Tehran Province, 84 of them are stationed in the city of Tehran’s downtown. Throughout the years 1383 (March 2004-2005) and 1384 (March 2005-2006), there were respectively 64 and 68 active CNG stations across the country. But in the years 1385 (March 2006-2007) and 1386 (March 2007-2008), respectively 60 and 200 CNG stations became operational. Furthermore, the construction and development of CNG stations expedited during the previous years and the current year, such that last year 427 CNG stations were launched into operation throughout 29 provinces across the nation. - Iran News