In a post on his X account on Sunday, Pezeshkian announced that the first phase of the flare gas collection project in southern Ilam has come on stream with the efforts of domestic experts and engineers.
He noted that more than 85 percent of the equipment used in the project is locally manufactured, adding that it will prevent the annual loss of $700 million in national wealth while also reducing pollution.
Flare gas refers to natural gas that is usually burned off as waste at oil and gas production sites or refineries, often for safety reasons or because there is no infrastructure to capture it. While flaring prevents the buildup of excess gas, it also causes major economic losses and contributes to air pollution.
Officials say recovery projects allow the captured gas to be used productively, such as in power generation or petrochemical production.
For Iran, which holds some of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, reducing flaring translates into both substantial financial savings and environmental gains.