Yahya Feizi said the refinery’s nonstop operations during the final four months of the previous Iranian year were unprecedented in the plant’s 41-year history.

Feizi said the refinery played a key role in maintaining stable gas supplies in northeastern Iran last year by improving its storage extraction index to 19.5 million cubic meters.

He added that during the last four months of the years 1403 and 1404 on the Iranian calendar, no production cuts or unplanned shutdowns occurred at the facility, calling the operational record unique in the refinery’s 41-year history. Feizi also said all work during major maintenance in the first half of the previous year was completed without any disabling safety incidents.

Feizi said a second unit for sour gas concentration, aimed at producing 11,000 tons of sulfur annually, is in its final stages of construction.

In renewable energy, Feizi said a 2-megawatt solar power plant is under construction and will go online by Government Week, providing electricity to the water supply unit and residential complexes.

He said that for the first time, a foreign brand of gas turbine was repaired by domestic specialists and installed in the storage unit. Feizi said the achievement has led to a new maintenance line supporting new technology-based firms in gas transmission.

Feizi noted that the refinery has drafted its first 10-year strategic plan, drawing on the experience of former managers, to address major areas such as feedstock supply, infrastructure stability and succession planning.

He said a digital transformation roadmap has also been finalized, making the refinery a pioneer within the National Iranian Gas Company, and that smartification projects are underway.

Feizi noted that natural gas is extracted with great difficulty from depths of 3,500 meters and undergoes a complex refining process. He urged Iranians to view the resource not only as heating fuel but as a driver of industrial development and job creation, and to help those serving the country by using gas efficiently.