The monoethylene glycol unit in Morvarid Petrochemical Company, with a production capacity of over 600,000 tons, has made 98% physical progress and is about to become operational, the company's managing director said.
"Plans have been devised so that the unit becomes fully operational by the end of the current Iranian year (started March 21)," Safar Ali Babaei was quoted as saying by Shana.
Highlighting the MEG unit feedstock, which is estimated to be 340,000 tons of ethylene and 368,000 tons of oxygen, the official noted that the MEG plant would produce 500,000 tons of monoethylene glycol, 50,000 tons of diethylene glycol and 3.4,000 tons of triethylene glycol per annum. These will be injected into the West Ethylene Pipeline.
MEG is an important raw material for industrial applications. A primary use of MEG is in the manufacture of polyester resins, films and fibers. In addition, MEG is important in the production of antifreezes, coolants, aircraft anti-icer and deicers, and solvents.
According to Babaei, a consortium comprising an Iranian and a Japanese company has been in charge of designing and implementing the project that was under Shell license. However, Shell halted its cooperation more than two years ago following the imposition of sanctions.
Assaluyeh Ethylene Plant, which was part of the Kharg Olefin Complex, was assigned to MPC in accordance with the National Petrochemical Company resolution dated 19 March 2006.
The plant’s feed shall be supplied from the production of ethane from South Pars plants for a capacity of 650 tons per year.
The main aim of the project is to create job opportunities and boost productivity to supply the feed for the West Ethylene Pipeline.
Ethylene glycol is an organic compound primarily used as a raw material in manufacturing polyester fibers, fabric industry and polyethylene terephthalate resins used in bottling. A small percentage is also used in industrial applications like antifreeze formulations and other industrial products.
Petrochemical output reached 51 tons at the end of the Fourth Five-Year Plan (2006-2011) and the volume is expected to rise to 62 million tons in the present Iranian year ending March 19, 2016.
