Petchem Output Up 5%

Tehran, Sept 27, IRNA - Iran’s petrochemical products witnessed a five-percent rise in six months ending Sept. 22, year-on-year, the National Petrochemical Company’s director for production control said. Ali Mohammad Bosaqzadeh made the statement on the sidelines of the 9th Iran Plast International Exhibition, adding that production of petrochemicals showed a rising trend in the period and the process will continue. “The increasing petrochemical production met domestic demand and also led to export,” he said. Bosaqzadeh called on all Iranian firms involved in the petrochemical industry to make efforts to raise petchem output and increase export. He said Iran reached a satisfactory level in petchem exports, adding that the figure will be soon made public. Iran produced 40m tons of petrochemicals last year, with exports amounting to $9b. The official noted that the 9th Iran Plast International Exhibition created a favorable opportunity for petrochemical companies and private sector entrepreneurs to negotiate in a friendly atmosphere and increase their interactions. Bosaqzadeh said Italy, Austria, Turkey, Taiwan, South Korea, China and India have set up pavilions while Britain, Germany, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and the UAE are attending independently in the event. Iran Plast runs through September 29. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 9th Iran Plast International Exhibition, Abbas Sheri-Moqaddam, deputy oil minister for petrochemical affairs, said petrochemical products account for over 40 percent of Iranian non-oil exports. Sheri-Moqaddam added that petrochemical industries currently consume only five percent of the country’s hydrocarbons, including oil and gas, and have produced over 40m tons of products. “Currently, over 30,000 production units are affiliated to petrochemical industries, raw materials of which are supplied by petrochemical plants in Assalouyeh and Mahshahr,” he said. The deputy minister noted that automotive, aerospace, medical, food, packaging, house appliances, tire and plastic industries are all dependent on petrochemical industries. Sheri-Moqaddam said the country’s production capacity in the field is 60 million tons at present./end