Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company in Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province, has been able to meet its corporate social responsibility requirements by complying with environmental standards, in addition to increasing production and efficiency, managing director of the firm said.
“Not only has the company invested in development projects to collect associate petroleum gas from southern oilfields, but it is also building wastewater treatment facilities to curb water extraction from Karoun River,” Sepahdar Ansari-Nik was also quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news portal.
Referring to a newly-built gas refining plant in the region, he noted that BIPC has invested close to $1 billion to help complete the Yadavaran Gas Refining Company.
“The new facility will recover flare gas and prevent the emission of carbon dioxide in the oil-rich area. The flare gas will be converted to condensates and sent to BIPC for producing value-added goods,” he said.
BIPC has also spent close to $75 million on building a sewage processing facility that can reduce water withdrawal from surface and ground resources by as much as 28,000 cubic meters per day.
Furthermore, the petrochem giant has planted around 8 million saplings over 500 hectares in and around the plant in cooperation with the provincial water and wastewater company.
“BIPC also shut down its chlor-alkali production unit last year with the aim of upgrading its equipment to help preserve the environment through energy efficiency and reduction of harmful waste,” he said.
Online Systems
As part of a drive to protect the environment and curb air pollution in the fossil fuel industry, the company has been equipped with online pollution control systems.
Unlike traditional lab systems that require experts to be physically present in the factory, online data processing systems enable the Department of Environment to measure and analyze the level of noxious waste, such as nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur at any moment from long distance.
Emissions of Iran’s petrochemical industry in Iran have decreased by 44% in the past decade.
The BIPC chief said petrochemical companies have reduced their pollutants in 10 years from 66% to less than 22%.
BIPC produced 777,000 tons of numerous products in the first 80 days of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 8), which was 111% higher compared with the same period of last year.
After carrying out the most extensive overhaul program in the company’s history last year, BIPC succeeded in increasing the production of all units since the beginning of the year.
The company produces ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene and xylene as the main petrochemical products. These products are mainly used to convert to intermediate and final products such as LDPE, high density polyethylene, synthetic rubber, polyvinyl chloride and paraxylene.
It is located over an area of 270 hectares on the northwestern flank of the Persian Gulf.
Easy supply of feedstock and raw materials, as well as all kinds of transport facilities, are among the major features of the complex. It has promoted the development of southwestern Khuzestan Province as one of the two important poles of the country’s petrochemical industry and most importantly, by creating added value and preventing the burning of flare gas.
Last year, the company registered a record in one of its production units.
Low Density Polyethylene
The low density polyethylene unit of the company has an annual design capacity of 100,000 tons but last year, the company had a 12% increase in the unit’s production.
Built in 1973, BIPC produces a wide range of chemicals, aromatics and polymers, including ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene and xylene, as the main products of the petrochemical industry.
These products are mainly used to convert to intermediate and final products such as low- and high-density polyethylene, synthetic rubber, paraxylene and caustic soda. It is also the largest LPG producer in Iran.
“The company has completed studies to develop its polyvinyl chloride [PVC] unit by completing the chlorine value chain,” the managing director of the firm said.
“There is a yearly excess of 140,000 tons of ethylene dichloride (EDC) that is one of the important resources for producing vinylchloride monomer. The company sold the surplus EDC in the past, but studies show that it can be converted to PVC, a more value-added commodity that can help raise the company’s export revenues.”
Ansari-Nik said the PVC development plan will double BIPC’s annual output at 200,000 tons.
With the implementation of the scheme within two years, in addition to meeting the needs of domestic industries, the feed needed for the development of downstream industries will be provided and the surplus will be exported to generate revenue, he added.
An estimated 730,000 tons of PVC are produced in Iran per year.
PVC is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of PVC are produced annually.
It is a versatile material used in window frames, drainage pipe, water service pipe, medical devices, blood storage bags, cable and wire insulation, resilient flooring, roofing membranes, stationery, automotive interiors and seat coverings, footwear and packaging.
