Iran’s petchem sector invests $5b to collect flare gas: Official
An official from the National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPC) announced a $5 billion investment by petrochemical companies to collect flare gases in the upstream sector as well as the development of a strategic document for flare gas reduction management.
The Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) head of the company, emphasizing the petrochemical industry's role in capturing flare gases despite its minor 8-9% share in oil industry flaring pollution (due to maintaining unit safety conditions), stated, "The petrochemical industry has invested approximately $5 billion to collect upstream flare gases for supplying petrochemical feedstock.”
Elaborating on the multi-year flare extinguishment program, Davoud Emadi added that 59 flares in the East Karun region in the northwest of Iran will be collected following the completion of the flare gas collection project by Bid Boland Persian Gulf Gas Refining, of which 9 flares have been extinguished so far.
Emadi also said necessary groundwork for petrochemical industry investment in collecting flares of the South Pars Gas Complex Company in Asalouyeh, aimed at supplying petrochemical industry feedstock, is underway.
Full-capacity output as solution to flare reduction
The HSE manager of the NIPC, stressing that part of flaring in petrochemical units results from not operating at full capacity, stated, "If production occurs at maximum capacity, the amount of flaring in these units will be minimized."
Emadi, noting that the strategic document for flare reduction management in the petrochemical industry is being developed and finalized to minimize flaring in the industry, said, "As a leading industry in complying with emission regulations, this sector has 15 active projects for flaring control and gas recovery aligned with this document on its agenda."
Highlighting the industry's commitments to flare gas collection and environmental protection, he emphasized, "With the completion of the East Karun flare gas collection project by Persian Gulf Bid Boland Gas Refining Company, nearly all commitments of the petrochemical industry in carbon reduction will be fulfilled."