
Iran to Launch 7 New Petrochemical Projects Next Year
TEHRAN (FNA) - A senior energy official disclosed on Sunday that the National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPC) is planning to inaugurate several new projects in the next Iranian year (will start on March 21).
"NIPC inaugurated six new petrochemical projects in the present Iranian year (ends March 20), and it plans to bring seven more plans to stream next year," NIPC's Director of Production Control Ali Mohammad Bosaqzadeh said.
He reiterated that sulfuric acid unit of Urmia Petrochemical Plant, low-density and heavy linear polyethylene of Mahabad and Lorestan complexes, urea and ammonia units of Shiraz Petrochemical Company, Phase 2 of Karoun complex as well as Persepolis Petrochemicals came on stream in the current year.
"The new projects had added a total of 3.1 million tons to the country's output capacity for petrochemical and polymer products," Bosaqzadeh added.
He said that low-density polyethylene unit of Kurdistan with an annual production capacity of 300,000 tons, Phase 3 of Pardis Petrochemical Company with an output capacity of 1.755 million tons of urea and ammonia as well as Kaveh Methanol Petrochemicals with a capacity of 4.365 million tons per year will start work next year.
“Moreover, four more new petrochemical projects will be also become operational, including ethylene glycol unit of Morvarid Petrochemical Company with an annual output capacity of 550,000 tons, expansion polystyrene unit of Entekhab Petrochemical complex with a capacity of 250,000 tons per year, Pars Persepolis Petrochemical plant as well as Phase 2 of Kavian Petrochemical Company with an annual capacity of one million ton of ethylene."
Iran is presently capable of producing 62 million tons of petrochemical and polymer products per year though the figure is expected to surpass 120 million tons once the new projects begin operation.
In relevant remarks in early January, a senior energy official disclosed that Iran is planning to considerably boost the export of its petrochemical products before the end of the current Iranian year (will end March 20, 2017).
"Iran's petrochemical exports will rise up to 20 million tons by March 20," Director for Planning and Development of National Iranian Petrochemical Company Farnaz Alavi said.
The Iranian energy official reiterated that the elimination of sanctions have facilitated the development of the country's petrochemical industry, and said, "The exports to the extent of the current level show growth in the production and exports in recent months."