Mohammad-Sadeq Azimifar, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company, said the country’s diesel reserves for power plants have risen to 3.2 billion liters, providing an important buffer for fuel supplies during the colder months and helping offset reduced access to natural gas during peak demand.
Azimifar said that as the cold season approaches and gas demand rises in the residential and commercial sectors, storing liquid fuel for power plants has become a key backup measure for ensuring energy supplies. He said the current diesel reserves can be used as an alternative fuel for power generation during the winter.
He noted that diesel consumption in Iran is divided mainly between power plants and non-power sectors. Average daily diesel consumption by power plants during the first half of the current Iranian year was estimated at 7 million to 8 million liters, he said. Lower demand during the period has allowed part of the available supply to be directed toward storage for peak winter consumption.
In non-power sectors, including industry, transportation and agriculture, average diesel consumption stands at about 80 million liters per day, Azimifar said.
He added that the gap between daily diesel production and consumption during the warm season makes it possible to store part of the fuel produced and use it to supply power plants when natural gas consumption rises and gas availability becomes constrained.