A total of 30.7 million tons of petrochemicals were produced in Iran during eight months ending November 21, indicating a 74% growth compared to the nominal production capacity, deputy for production control at the National Petrochemical Company said.
Ali Mohammad Bassaqzadeh added that the figure shows a 3% increase compared with the same period of last year, Shana reported.
Bassaqzadeh was speaking at the ninth session of managing directors of manufacturing companies in Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Economic Zone.
Of that amount, 9.4 million tons were consumed domestically and 12.5 million tons were exported.
Iran, one of the world’s top oil producers, exported around $14 billion worth of petrochemicals in 2014, down from more than $18 billion in 2011. Annual petrochemical output in the previous two Iranian years accounted for 40.5 million tons and 44.5 million tons respectively.
On Iran’s petrochemical production capacity, the official said more than 44 million tons of petrochemicals are expected to be produced by March 2016, which would account for 81% of nominal production capacity and register a record.
Iran’s petrochemical output is planned to exceed 100 million tons per annum by 2018, according to the first deputy of National Petrochemical Company, Mohammad Hassan Peyvandi.
Bassaqzadeh added that petrochemical production of PSEEZ in the period stood at 12 million tons. He predicted the volume will reach 18 million tons by March 2016. Located in a 2,600-hectare land in southwestern Iran in Khuzestan Province, PSEEZ has access to international free waters via the Persian Gulf and is linked to Europe and Central Asia by the International North-South Transport Corridor.
