Middle Eastern oil and natural gas powerhouse Iran is making renewed efforts to utilize green technology and diversify its energy base. The office of Iran’s Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has announced that, as soon as this year, the country will start using biofuels. If they follow through, this marks the first time in Iranian history that such a plan will actually be executed.
According to the Vice Presidency’s Biofuels Committee head, Meisam Tabatabaei, the initiative will initially be launched at pilot scale. It will involve the blending of bioethanol and biodiesel with conventional gasoline in buses, minibuses and select cars in Iran’s free trade zones. The preliminary aim is said to be to evaluate the project’s feasibility. However, the ultimate objective is to prepare the ground for the full and nationwide implementation of measures to start using biofuels in the near future.