Domestic petrochemical output reached 44.8 million tons in the first ten months of the current fiscal (ending in March) and exports generated over $9.7 billion.
Twenty petrochemical plants in Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Energy Zone in southwestern Khuzestan Province, produced 15.9 million tons during the period, the National Petrochemical Company news portal reported.
Ten-month production of 16 plants in Assaluyeh, in southern Bushehr Province, reached 19.9 million tons and 20 other complexes in other parts of the country produced over 9 million tons.
Iran exported more than 17 million tons of petrochemicals in 10 months and earned over $9.7 billion.
In the same period, exports from Pars Special Economic Energy Zone, off the Persian Gulf in Bushehr, reached over 9.2 million tons worth of $5 billion while Petzone in Mahshahr registered 4.3 million tons in exports and earned $2.6 billion.
In terms of volume, Zagros Petrochemical Company in PSEEZ topped other producers by exporting over 2 million tons of petrochemicals.
Installed production capacity has increased 22-fold over almost four decades and the number of complexes has been increased by nine times. Production and exports have climbed by a solid 33 and 37 times respectively
Nouri Petrochemical Company in Assaluyeh shipped over $1.2 billion worth of products, making it the biggest Iranian petrochemical exporter in revenue terms.
Exporting 1.2 million tons of petrochemicals, including aromatics, and a variety of polyolefin, Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company in Petzone generated $720 million in the 10-month period and was among the profitable companies in the country.
Over 3.6 million tons of petrochemicals were exported from other regions and earned $2.2 billion. Exports mainly included methanol, ammonia, polystyrene, ethylene glycol, urea, butane, propane, low-density and high-density polyethylene, natural-gas condensate and cement.
Notable Progress
Iran’s petrochemical sector has made notable progress since the 1980s. Installed production capacity has increased 22-fold over almost four decades and the number of complexes has been increased by nine times. Production and exports have climbed by a solid 33 and 37 times respectively.
The petrochemical industry has played a key role in the economic growth of the country as it creates value-added and prevents the sale of crude oil and gas on which the economy has been too dependent for decades.
Annual production capacity of petrochemicals in 1979 was roughly 3 million tons and is 66 million tons now. However, the actual annual output is less since not all the plants operate at full capacity, due to periodic overhauls and feed shortage.
By the late 1970s there were 6 petrochemical facilities in Iran. The number has now reached 54.
Forty years ago only 17 petrochemical products could be supplied domestically, but now 121 items are manufactured.
Furthermore, petrochemical export increased from 0.6 million tons per year in 1979 to over 21.7 million tons in 2018.
According to the NPC, the petrochemical sector has a strong presence in international markets mainly in Asia and Europe.
With abundant hydrocarbon resources and the private sector’s new investments, Iran is working hard to maintain its global status in the sector and broaden its scope.
NPC aims to upgrade technology, equip companies with advanced technical know-how and expand its footprint in world markets.
Given the final phases of the construction of two petrochemical plants that should complete the petrochemical value-chain, and boosting output at two other companies, it is forecast that by the end of this fiscal in March petrochemical output would reach 54 million tons.
