Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the certificate represents 5
million cubic meters of natural gas saved through an optimization project in
Yazd province implemented under an agreement with a licensed gas operator.
The certificate was issued after the project completed the required
implementation and verification procedures, with the volume determined by the
amount of gas savings actually achieved, Paknejad said, according to Shana.
The first certificate under the framework is expected to pave the way
for similar contracts between gas operators and provincial gas companies,
supporting efforts to improve energy efficiency, manage consumption and narrow
Iran’s gas supply-demand imbalance.
Paknejad said the initiative marks an important step toward
commercializing energy savings and establishing a market for gas-efficiency
projects.
Under the mechanism outlined in Article 6 of the regulations governing
natural-gas operator companies, savings generated by an operator-led project
can, after verification, qualify for certification and be offered in the
market.
The new system changes the economics of energy efficiency by allowing
verified gas savings to be valued and traded rather than treating reduced
consumption solely as an administrative target.
That structure could create financial incentives for private companies
to invest in gas-efficiency projects and expand the market for technologies and
services aimed at reducing consumption, Paknejad said.