He said the certificate was issued after the project’s implementation and based on the actual savings achieved, turning the saved gas into a tradable economic asset.

“The issuance of the first gas-savings certificate under this framework paves the way for similar contracts between gas service companies and provincial gas companies,” Paknejad said. “It is a step toward improving energy efficiency, managing consumption and reducing the country’s gas imbalance.”

The minister said the certificate also marks an important step toward commercializing energy savings and developing a market for gas-efficiency projects. Such a market could create economic incentives for greater private-sector participation and investment in gas-consumption optimization projects.

Paknejad pointed to the mechanism outlined in Article 6 of the regulations governing natural gas service companies, saying savings generated by the Yazd project became eligible for certification and market trading after receiving the required approval.

“With the issuance of this certificate, natural gas savings move from being solely a management measure to reduce consumption to an economic opportunity that can be valued and traded,” he said. “This can strengthen incentives for the private sector to carry out energy-efficiency projects.”