Seyed Mehdi Niazi, speaking at the Iran Oil Show, said that
rising energy consumption was one of the biggest challenges facing the country
and that optimising fuel use should be a priority for all areas.
Iran consumes more energy per person than any other country
in the Middle East, and nearly twice as much as the world average.
It relies heavily on its abundant oil and gas reserves,
which account for half of its state revenue.
But it also wastes a lot of energy, partly because of
generous subsidies that keep prices low for consumers.
Iran produces more energy than it consumes, but it faces
bottlenecks in distribution and refining. It also struggles to meet peak demand
in winter and summer, when gas and electricity shortages force it to ration
supplies or resort to imports.
Mr. Niazi said that Iran's industrial products should comply
with standards and frameworks for energy efficiency, especially in the
transport and household sectors.
He also said that Iran had recently adopted smart strategies
to reduce its energy intensity, which measures how much energy is used per unit
of GDP.
The minister said that Iran was not satisfied with its
current level of domestic production and wanted to expand its export markets.
The 27th international oil, gas and petrochemical
exhibition, which runs until Saturday, is being held under the slogan "Oil
Industry, Technology Production and Optimal Consumption".