TEHRAN - A high-ranking energy official said that a new oil refinery will go on stream in Southern Iran in March 2026.
Muhammad-Sadeq Azimifar, the CEO of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), said that a 60,000-barrel refinery in the Sirraf region will become operational by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2026). 
He added that utilizing small refineries and attracting new investors could play a key role in expanding refining capacity.
“Because the refining industry is capital-intensive, the more we can utilize the capacity of small refineries, the more funding will be attracted. Therefore, a small project in the Siraf region with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day is being put into operation, which, given that it also has quality-enhancing processing units, can help with the gasoline imbalance. Another 60,000-barrel refinery will also be put into operation next year.”
In a relevant approach in late March, a knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in designing and producing steam reduction valves that prevented refineries from stopping operations during peak consumption times with 100% sealing.
“Since two years ago, the 8th South Pars Refinery has invited us to cooperate to help and provide a solution regarding the production of steam reduction unit valves,” said Mohammad Reza Sinayee, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“These valves are a more advanced model, gate valves that have 100% sealing activity. The entire technical know-how of Troconduit valves exists in our company and we have for the first time in the world designed and produced them at a temperature of 280 degrees and a pressure difference of 40 bars,” he added.
“These valves are produced in two models of double disc and parallel disc, the double disc model of which is used in gas refineries,” Sinayee said.