Financial Tribune - Gasoline consumption in the calendar month that ended on May 21 reached a total of 2.42 billion liters, or more than 78 million liters per day on average.

According to Mehr News Agency, the daily consumption of gasoline in the period indicates an 8% rise compared to the corresponding period in fiscal 2016-17, during which 71.9 million liters per day of gasoline was burned.

Iranians on average consumed 74 million liters of gasoline per day in the previous fiscal year. The government had to import 12 ml/d to meet demand.

Earlier this month, President Hassan Rouhani launched Phase 1 of the Persian Gulf Star Refinery in the city of Bandar Abbas in southern Hormozgan Province which will cut Iran's reliance on gasoline imports once fully operational.

The refinery is currently producing close to 12 million liters per day of Euro-4 grade gasoline, 4.5 ml/d of Euro-4 diesel, 1 ml/d of kerosene and 300,000 liters per day of liquefied petroleum gas.