Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Transfer Company (NIGTC) Reza Almasi said 15 to 20 billion dollars of new investments are needed for expanding Iran's gas grid.

Almasi told Shana that the company has construction of 6 thousand kilometers of high pressure gas pipelines on its agenda.

Citing the Iranian oil minister’s remarks on the necessity of the expansion of the current gas pipeline network and building a spare one, Almasi said, "Up to the present, gas pipeline network has been designed and built just to connect the feeding points and consumption markets without considering any alternative network for emergency situations, and construction of this extra network requires 15 to 20 billion dollars of new investments."

"Right now the length of gas pipeline network stands at 34 thousand km but for expanding the network we are needed to build another 6,000 km pipelines."

The oil minister has asked the NIGC to upgrade the national gas network in order to be able to meet domestic needs and exports simultaneously.

Currently 34.5 thousand km of high pressure gas network, 69 gas stations for boosting pressure and 240 turbo compressors are involved in providing gas needs of residential, commercial, industrial and power plants across the country.

Under the fifth five year development plan to 2015, the country’s gas pipeline network is expected to expand from 34.5 thousand km to 44 thousand km and the number of gas pressure stations to 110.


 

News ID 185642