According to the Iran Energy Exchange, Ali-Asghar Rajabi, energy and carbon manager of the National Iranian Gas Company, pointed to the high share of gas in the country's energy mix during Sunday's Iran Energy Market Think Tank meeting. He said more than 72 percent of Iran's consumed energy comes from gas, a fact which doubles the necessity for precise planning to optimize consumption and ensure sustainable financing.

Emphasizing that the Energy Exchange is the best and most practical path for financing in the energy sector, he stated: "Last week, each cubic meter of gas saved in the household sector was sold on the Energy Exchange in the form of a savings certificate for 17,000 tomans. This move demonstrated that capital market mechanisms can directly contribute to the optimal management of consumption and the financing of energy projects."

Announcing that approximately 80 trillion tomans have been paid to companies from savings under Article 12 of the Law on Removing Barriers to Competitive Production, the energy and carbon manager of the National Iranian Gas Company added: "From optimization projects, 800 million cubic meters of gas, equivalent to 100 trillion tomans in revenue, has been obtained."

Curbing kerosene smuggling through energy exchange trading

Nematollah Najafi, a board member of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, speaking about the country's fuel consumption situation, said: "Based on plans, the withdrawal limit for emergency fuel cards was supposed to be set at 10 percent, but in practice, this limit has not been observed."

He stated: "With the implementation of control measures and consumption optimization in the kerosene and gas oil sectors, a 26 percent reduction in consumption has been recorded."

The board member of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company emphasized the Energy Exchange's role in creating transparency and combating fuel smuggling, asserting: "The possibility of purchasing free gas oil at stations should be provided at a price based on Energy Exchange trades. Furthermore, a portion of kerosene enters the market illegally and is mixed with gas oil, which reduces fuel quality. If the trade of kerosene is conducted through the Energy Exchange, a significant portion of smuggling can be curbed."