TEHRAN – The number of dual-fuel cars in Iran has increased to 3,908,604 vehicles following the implementation of a program to turn public vehicles into dual-fuel cars, the data released by National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) showed.

Back in December 2019, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) and Iran’s state-owned Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to add new dual-fuel vehicles to the country’s public transportation fleet.

The mentioned MOU was aimed to add 1.46 million dual-fuel vehicles to the public transportation fleet, of which so far 25,000 cars have been converted.

As reported, following the implementation of the mentioned program, the distribution capacity of compressed natural gas (CNG) in supply stations across the country has now reached about three million cubic meters per hour and on average, about 22 million cubic meters (mcm) of CNG is supplied on a daily basis.

Based on the NIOPDC data, as of September 22, a total of 24,621 public vehicles have become dual-fueled across the country, and 22,520 vehicles are waiting to be converted.

Iranian Oil Ministry considers CNG as the national fuel, therefore, the ministry has it on the agenda to increase the share of this fuel in the country's energy basket.

Iran has recently started a program for the rationing of subsidized gasoline and increased fuel prices to reduce the energy subsidies and to use the revenue for supporting underprivileged families.

The implementation of the rationing plan has led to the reduction of gasoline consumption while promoting CNG consumption in the country.

Iran’s CNG consumption stood at 19 mcm per day before the implementation of the fuel rationing scheme, however, in mid-September, an official with NIORDC announced that the daily consumption of CNG has reached 25 million cubic meters in Iran.

There are currently 2,495 CNG stations across Iran that supply 22 percent of the country’s fuel basket.

EF/MA